A Blessing
by GeordieLass
Summary: A Chelsie fic set during Series 4, although the story will detour from canon. Mrs Hughes receives an unexpected blessing. Will it help to bring the Housekeeper and Butler closer together? Certainly, their lives will never be the same again. Hope you enjoy x
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I am not**_ ** _sure if there is still an appetite for Chelsie fanfic but I have a break from work after a hectic few months and so I thought I would try to write a little something. The first couple of chapters set the scene and then we'll get into the story properly._**

 _ **This fic begins during Series 4, starting a little after Lord Grantham's birthday party and prior to the staff's trip to Brighton Beach. The chapters won't be long but I promise to post a new chapter at least every other day. There will be a little angst but overall it will be a very happy tale, filled with lots of lovely Chelsie fluff. I hope to write Charles and Elsie in character but the situation will take a detour from canon.**_

 _ **I haven't written a fic for quite some time and so I hope you enjoy it x**_

Chapter 1

"Mr Carson, do not pretend that you didn't like that lovely Mr Ross because I know that you did," she teased, as she followed the Butler into his pantry.

He rolled his eyes theatrically, as he turned to face the Housekeeper.

"Mrs Hughes, Mr Ross was a very nice man, I don't deny it, but that does not mean I think it appropriate to have _that_ sort of music in a House such as this," he declared pompously.

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Well I enjoyed it, very much in fact ... it's about time this House enjoyed some celebration and cheer following everything the Family have endured over the last couple of years," she said, with a clear note of sadness in her voice, the earlier levity having left her. Mrs Hughes sent a prayer up to heaven for Lady Sybil and Mr Matthew.

Mr Carson stalled at that, observing the emotion in his friend's eyes.

"Indeed, Mrs Hughes," he conceded, with a gentle smile.

He was rewarded with a generous smile in return.

######

"So, Alfred is coming to visit?" Mrs Hughes asked, as she and Mrs Patmore stood in the kitchen with a cup of tea in hand.

"It seems so," the Cook responded wearily.

"You don't sound very happy. I thought you liked Alfred,"

"I do like Alfred, I just don't like the battle that will erupt in my kitchen between Daisy and Ivy. They've already started sniping. Honestly ... young love!" Mrs Patmore declared with a sigh.

"I bet he never reckoned on being the Downton heartbreaker ... poor Alfred," Mrs Hughes chuckled lightly, thinking of the kind but rather clueless young man.

"Poor me, more like ... it'll come to blows, mark my word Mrs Hughes," the Cook continued, sipping her tea.

"Were we like that once, do you think?" the Housekeeper asked wistfully.

Mrs Patmore laughed happily.

"What, me and you fighting over a man? I don't think so! And anyway, when you joined as Head Housemaid and I was Assistant Cook, the only man anywhere near our age was Mr Carson ..." the Cook smiled mischievously, leaving that thought hanging in the air for a second.

"... and we both know who'd have won that battle," Mrs Patmore finished cheekily, as Mrs Hughes tutted at the Cook, shaking her head and exhaling at such a ridiculous notion.

######

Lord and Lady Grantham were sitting in the Library following lunch. Lady Mary and Lady Rose had joined them. Master George was playing on the floor with some building blocks. Mr Carson and Mr Barrow stood at the side of the room. Lord Grantham was telling his family about a meeting he had had that morning with an old friend. He paused his story, as the front door bell rang.

"We are not expecting anyone are we?" he asked. It was unusual for anyone to arrive unexpectedly.

"Not that I am aware," Her Ladyship replied.

Mr Carson directed the Under-Butler to go and deal with whoever was at the door. After a few moments of commotion outside the Library, where exasperated voices could be heard, His Lordship asked Mr Carson to allow the visitor into the room. Mr Carson exited the Library to do just that, fuming that Mr Barrow had created such a scene; he should have sent the visitor on their way discreetly rather than bothering His Lordship in this manner. The Butler glared at Mr Barrow as he escorted the smartly-dressed stranger into the Library. Mr Barrow followed behind them defiantly.

"How may we help you?" His Lordship asked.

Mr Barrow decided to answer for the man.

"This gentleman has requested to see Mrs Hughes Milord, although he will not give me any further details. I therefore thought it best not to allow him into the House," Mr Barrow stated pompously.

Mr Carson stalled at that. _Mrs Hughes?_

"I see. And may I ask why you need to speak to Mrs Hughes. I apologise but I don't know your name. Mr?" His Lordship asked politely.

"Barratt sir, Mr Barratt from Jameson Solicitors in Ripon, and I am afraid I cannot disclose that. It is a confidential matter and therefore it is only right that I discuss this directly with Mrs Hughes. I did try to explain that to the gentleman here," he returned very politely, although his frustration with Mr Barrow was clear.

Mr Carson could tell immediately from the man's sombre tone that the matter was an important one. _A solicitor?_ The Butler's concern for his friend and colleague began to rise.

"Yes, I see ... umm ... Mr Barrow, please ask Mrs Hughes to come to the Library ... and then you may return downstairs," Lord Grantham said firmly, knowing that Mr Barrow was far too eager to know everyone else's business. Mr Carson nodded his support of this instruction.

"It is not bad news is it?" Lady Grantham asked worriedly.

"As I say Ma'am, I would rather speak to Mrs Hughes," he smiled politely.

Mr Carson felt his heart race in his chest. _What news did this solicitor have for Mrs Hughes?_

"Mary, Rose, perhaps it would be best if you take Master George back to the nursery," Lady Grantham added, perceiving quite rightly that Mrs Hughes would prefer not to have a room full of people present.

Lady Mary made to protest, she was as eager as anyone to know this man's business, but she decided otherwise, noting Mr Carson's concerned expression and not wishing to make matters any more uncomfortable.

A minute or so later Mrs Hughes entered the Library to be greeted by Mr Carson, Lord and Lady Grantham, and a man who introduced himself as Mr Barratt, a solicitor from Ripon. She felt somewhat confused, not having any idea why a solicitor would wish to speak to her.

"Mrs Elsie Hughes?" he enquired, ensuring he had the correct woman.

"Yes," she confirmed softly.

"Madam, perhaps we could speak in private?" he asked sensitively, very aware of the other three people in the room.

Mrs Hughes hesitated slightly and then decided it was best not to delay any further.

"No, it is fine Mr Barratt. Whatever you have to say, you can say it here," she said, swallowing her nerves.

Mr Carson stood a little off to her left-hand side, Lord and Lady Grantham remained on the sofas. Mrs Hughes felt very anxious, deducing that this was unlikely to be good news.

"Mrs Hughes, I believe you knew a Miss Ethel Parks?" he asked.

That was the last thing the Housekeeper had been expecting him to say.

"Ethel, yes ... yes, she used to work here. We all knew Ethel," Mrs Hughes replied, feeling puzzled.

"I am very sorry to have to tell you this Mrs Hughes but Miss Parks died two weeks ago," he said gravely.

"Oh my," Mrs Hughes gasped, taking a deep steadying breath. Lady Grantham also inhaled sharply, as His Lordship and Mr Carson remained silent but no less shocked.

Sadness flooded through the Housekeeper, she was lost for words for a few seconds.

"But Ethel was so young. How did she die?" Mrs Hughes eventually asked softly.

"It isn't confirmed yet Mrs Hughes but I am afraid she was found unconscious. It appears she may have been beaten," he said sorrowfully.

Mrs Hughes gulped in horror at that, staring down at the floor, trying to contain her emotion at such a shocking revelation. The Housekeeper was overcome with sadness, as images of a young, vibrant Ethel flashed through her mind. She felt numb as she tried to digest this dreadful information. Suddenly, another image of Ethel flitted through her mind, an image of Ethel and her young son in the run-down cottage Mrs Hughes had visited.

"And what about Ethel's son? Charlie? Is he alright? Oh the poor lad, he can't be more than ..."

"Four. Charlie is four. And yes he is fine Mrs Hughes," Mr Barratt replied cautiously.

"Thank goodness for that," the Housekeeper breathed, still in shock.

"Is he with relatives of Ethel?" Lady Grantham asked softly.

"No, no he isn't ..." the solicitor began, smiling politely at Lady Grantham and then back to Mrs Hughes.

Mrs Hughes looked at him, not following where this was headed.

"Mrs Hughes, Miss Parks was living in a women's refuge in Ripon with her son. Every woman taken in at the refuge has to complete paperwork you see, contact details and such like ..." he said, pausing as Mrs Hughes nodded slightly.

She watched as the man coughed to clear his throat.

"Mrs Hughes, Miss Parks named you as Charlie's guardian. She asked that you take care of him in the event of her death," he explained formally.

"His guardian?" the Housekeeper managed, her eyes wide open. A stunned silence descended across the room.

"Yes Mrs Hughes, I know this must be quite a lot to take in but Master Parks is now, well ... legally … he is now your child."

Mrs Hughes, who had been stoic and strong throughout the conversation thus far, grasped a nearby table to steady herself as she stared at the man in disbelief.

 _ **A/N: I have always wanted to write a fic about Chelsie and children but I have never done so before. Some of my favourite Chelsie stories, stories that I read time and time again, are when they have children of their own or when they look after other people's children. Therefore, I thought I would give it a go. The scenario may be somewhat unrealistic but hopefully it will develop into something quite sweet.**_

 _ **For the purpose of this story, Charlie's grandparents, Mr and Mrs Bryant, never acknowledged their grandson. Therefore, Ethel continued to raise her son, moving away from her cottage near Downton and starting a new life in Ripon; a new life that continued to be desperate and penniless, bringing her into danger's path. I hope you enjoy the fic as it progresses and if you have time, please do let me know with a little review x**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you for all of your very kind reviews for the first chapter, including all of the lovely reviews from guest reviewers who I cannot thank personally. Such fantastic support really does help fic writers to update speedily! As mentioned, I'll aim to update this at least every other day, sometimes daily. This chapter continues to set the scene for what's to come x**_

Chapter 2

"Mrs Hughes can't look after a child … she's the Housekeeper of Downton Abbey," Mr Carson uttered, not being able to help himself.

Mrs Hughes turned to gaze at the Butler, feeling utterly unbalanced. She then turned back to Mr Barratt.

"I … I don't understand, I haven't seen Ethel for almost two years, why would she make me Charlie's guardian?" Mrs Hughes asked, her brow wrinkled in confusion.

"She obviously knew that you would take good care of the boy," the solicitor answered kindly.

Mrs Hughes smiled weakly at that.

"You cannot simply give someone a child, surely? Does Mrs Hughes have no say in the matter?" Mr Carson asked, aghast at this proposition.

Lord and Lady Grantham had reached an unspoken agreement to stay silent; realising that there was already so much for Mrs Hughes to take in and their voices would not help matters. They were also feeling quite shocked themselves.

Mr Carson couldn't seem to help himself; he felt aggrieved for Mrs Hughes and he could see how distressed she was. He also felt a rising sense of panic at her dilemma. _She is Housekeeper_ , he reasoned wordlessly. _She can't be Housekeeper and raise a child. If she chooses to raise the child, surely she would have to leave. And she can't leave. Mrs Hughes can't leave …_

"Yes, Mrs Hughes does have a say. Miss Parks hadn't actually obtained your consent, Mrs Hughes. Therefore, although she named you as guardian, you will have to agree to it … for you to formally become Charlie's guardian," Mr Barratt explained.

"There you go then," Mr Carson declared, sounding relieved.

Mrs Hughes turned again to the Butler, glaring at him in dismay. He swallowed guiltily; thinking that perhaps he needed to remain quiet.

"What would happen to Charlie if I said no?" she asked softly.

Mr Carson felt incredibly anxious once again. _She is actually considering this._

"He would be taken into the care of the orphanage in Ripon," Mr Barratt said.

Mrs Hughes visibly winced at that, her eyes filling with tears.

"There isn't any other relatives or friends?" Lady Grantham asked gently.

"No, Ma'am. There is no-one," the solicitor replied.

All four had been present when Ethel ran into the dining room at the Abbey, appealing to Mr and Mrs Bryant to acknowledge their grandson. However, the couple had refused to believe Charlie was their grandchild and given that Major Bryant, their son, was dead, Mr Bryant had been correct in his assumption that Ethel had no proof. Ethel never saw the Bryant's again. She corresponded by letter with Mrs Hughes for the next few months but then Ethel's letters had stopped. The letters Mrs Hughes continued to write to Ethel were returned to the Abbey; Ethel was no longer known at that address. The young woman and her son had moved from the rundown cottage but, at the time, the Housekeeper had no idea where Ethel had gone.

Mrs Hughes turned towards Lord and Lady Grantham hesitantly, not quite believing what she was about to ask. Her world had been turned upside down in the last five minutes. However, she was absolutely sure of one thing, she could not turn her back on the young lad. He had lost his mother. He had no-one else.

"Milady, Milord … I realise I am about to suggest something highly irregular but … would there be any possible way for Charlie to live here at the Abbey with me? For me to continue as Housekeeper but to have Charlie here with me? I would manage somehow. I would not allow it to affect my work," she stated, as confidently as possible. Although at this stage, she had no idea how she would care for a young boy, let alone how she would care for a young boy whilst running an Abbey.

Mr Carson's jaw hung open; he was lost for words. Mrs Hughes could see his dumbfounded expression out of the corner of her eye but she determinedly looked ahead, her eyes fixed on her kindly employers.

Lady Grantham looked pleadingly at her husband, hoping he would yield to this request.

"I cannot imagine how it could work Mrs Hughes. A child downstairs? And you running the House? Who will look after him during the day? And what about when the child gets older? It really would be very inappropriate," Lord Grantham stated. He did not want to be unkind but he found it impossible to see how this could work.

Mr Carson nodded. _Finally, some sanity in the room_ , he thought.

"Oh Robert, if anyone can make this work, Mrs Hughes can. And we cannot allow the poor boy to be placed in an orphanage. Robert, those places are ghastly," Lady Grantham offered.

The truth of her statement shook the Housekeeper. _Charlie is not going to some ghastly orphanage._ Unexplainably, she already felt protective of the young boy.

"I understand if it isn't possible Milord, Milady. I am well aware that it is a very big thing to ask. However, I agree with Her Ladyship, Charlie cannot go to some dreadful orphanage …"

Mrs Hughes paused, exhaling a long, anxious breath. She had no idea what she was going to do from this point forward, other than somehow she had to take care of Charlie. She began to speak again.

"… therefore, with great regret, I will have to …"

She didn't get to say any further words, as she was interrupted by Mr Carson and Lady Grantham, both exclaiming 'No!' in unison.

The Butler speedily gathered himself; mortified by his outburst. Lady Grantham stood up abruptly, as if to physically halt Mrs Hughes from finishing her sentence.

Mrs Hughes gazed at the Butler and then at her employers; worry and uncertainty seeping through her bones.

 _How could this have happened?_ The very last thing she wanted was to leave Downton. To leave her friends. To leave this infuriating but kind and lovely man beside her. _How on earth can I leave Mr Carson?_ she agonised _,_ feeling heartbroken at the thought. Yet she did not have a choice. If Charlie could not live at Downton with her, she would have to leave. _How have I become responsible for a child? Surely I am too old to be a mother, even a surrogate mother?_ _I know nothing at all about raising a child. I am past child-bearing age. I am unmarried._ Everything seemed against her. She knew this situation was absurd. Yet, she also knew that she could not turn her back on this poor orphaned boy. She had to do this for him … and for Ethel. She would always feel partly responsible for Ethel's situation. After all, Mrs Hughes had dismissed the young housemaid after Ethel had cavorted with Major Bryant whilst under her care. _I need to do this for Ethel._

Lady Grantham stepped in again.

"Robert, let's at least allow Mrs Hughes to give this a try. _Please._ We can review things after a few months?" she suggested, hoping this compromise would be agreeable to her husband.

Mrs Hughes smiled at Lady Grantham, grateful for her support.

After a prolonged silence that seemed to go on for hours, Lord Grantham smiled wearily but kindly towards his wife and the Housekeeper.

"Very well."

Two words. Two words that signalled Mrs Hughes's life was about to change forever.

Mr Carson also felt the ground shift beneath him; something told him that their lives would never be the same again.

Mrs Hughes closed her eyes in relief, gathering her courage. _Charlie is coming to live at the Abbey and I will be responsible for the little boy._

 _ **A/N: Please do leave a little review if you have time. Next chapter, we finally meet Charlie x**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thank you for your support and reviews. They make all of the difference x**_

Chapter 3

The Housekeeper and Butler walked along the downstairs corridor side by side, they hadn't spoken since they had left the Library; Mrs Hughes lost in her own thoughts and Mr Carson desperate to speak to her but waiting until they were in the privacy of her sitting-room.

He closed the door behind them as they entered the room.

"Mrs Hughes, you cannot look after a child here!" he exclaimed, gazing at his friend and colleague in disbelief.

"Mr Carson, is that really all you can say?" she shot back. She was feeling unstable enough without him making it worse.

"Well, what else should I say? You've just agreed to bring up a child at the Abbey!"

"And what would you have me do? Abandon the child to an orphanage?" she shrieked, almost hysterically.

"You wouldn't _be_ abandoning him. He isn't your responsibility in the first place," he countered.

"He is now. You heard Mr Barratt. Ethel wanted me to look after him if something happened to her."

"I have no doubt she did but you didn't give your consent. She should have asked you and she did not. You can't just leave a child to someone without the other person agreeing to it. Especially if that person is employed to run an Abbey- you will never manage to keep standards high with a child underfoot," he declared.

Mrs Hughes glared furiously at Mr Carson.

"You and your precious standards! I will ensure standards do not slip if that is what is bothering you Mr Carson. Now, I have made my decision and that is the end of it."

"Mrs Hughes!" he bellowed, exasperated.

"Mr Carson, I would appreciate if you could refrain from shouting at me. Goodness … do you think I wanted this? Or ever expected this?" she asked, feeling drained.

She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, trying to ease the tension as she looked at him full of concern.

Mr Carson took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, as he observed his friend so troubled.

"No, no of course not," he said more kindly, his tone much softer.

"Well then … would it be too much to ask for a bit of support, rather than this constant grumbling?" she returned, her voice splintering with emotion.

The Housekeeper was teetering on the edge of breaking point; feeling utterly overwhelmed by the events that had just transpired. She looked away from the Butler, embarrassed by the tears in her eyes.

Mr Carson stumbled at that; full of sorrow as he watched his strong and capable friend become so shaken. He swallowed hard. He did not support this idea, not at all, but Mrs Hughes had always supported him, even when she didn't agree with him, and he knew he needed to do the same.

"I do apologise Mrs Hughes. I understand that this must be quite overwhelming and I do not wish to make things worse …"

His words were sincere. There was a pause whilst he thought carefully about his next words. Mr Carson was a man of integrity and he could not lie; not even to make Mrs Hughes feel better. He needed to be honest but supportive.

"Mrs Hughes ... I cannot pretend that I think this is a good idea. Having the boy … Charlie … living here at the Abbey, well it seems fraught with problems and issues to me. However, of course I will support you as best I can," he said solemnly.

The Housekeeper turned back towards Mr Carson, looking deep into his eyes. She observed his genuine care and concern for her. Mrs Hughes smiled wearily at the maddening man before her.

"Thank you Mr Carson," she replied gently.

######

Mrs Hughes stood on the pavement across the road from the Children's Home, taking a moment to gather herself before entering the building. Charlie had been taken into temporary care two weeks ago when his mother died. It had taken the authorities this length of time to complete all of the relevant paperwork and to locate Mrs Hughes. This wasn't somewhere that children lived permanently, it was a temporary base for children in care. Children either returned to their family following a stay here, or very sadly, were moved permanently to an orphanage.

A million and one thoughts ran through her mind as she thought of the little boy who would now be hers. _How was he coping with the loss of his mother? What kind of dreadful things might he have seen during his short life with Ethel? What have the last two weeks been like living in this home? It looks depressing enough from the outside, goodness knows what it is like inside,_ she thought. _Will he even want to live with me?_ she fretted. This particular worry had been constantly on her mind for the last day or so.

 _Stop dithering and go and meet the lad_ , she told herself, as she took one last deep breath and headed across the road.

######

The Children's Home Manager opened the door to the small meeting room and ushered Charlie inside. Mrs Hughes sat on the sofa waiting for him.

"Hello Charlie," Mrs Hughes said softly, as he stood in the doorway.

"Hello" he whispered, his head lowered, as he cautiously looked upwards at the lady who was smiling at him.

"You can sit here if you'd like?" she said cheerfully, tapping the seat beside her.

He climbed onto the sofa. He was wearing a tweed soft cap and dressed in his smartest clothes. Despite this, Mrs Hughes could see that the clothes were very worn and a bit tattered. She knew that Ethel must have been destitute to have to live in a refuge. The lad couldn't have had very much by way of material possessions, although the Housekeeper had no doubt that he would have had lots of love in his life.

"My name is Mrs Hughes, Charlie. I knew your Mam. We worked together," the Housekeeper continued gently.

He continued to stare at her, not saying a word.

"Your Mam was a very nice lady and I know that she loved you very much," Mrs Hughes added.

Her heart broke for the little boy. He looked so lost. _The poor lad mustn't know what to think. He's lost the one person in the world who meant everything to him._ However, the Housekeeper's kind words about his mother seemed to give him the confidence to speak.

"She's wif the angels now," he whispered, his eyes wide as he continued to gaze at Mrs Hughes.

Mrs Hughes felt a piercing pain in her chest. She swallowed hard, determined not to get upset in front of this lovely boy; she needed to be strong for him.

"She is pet, she's in heaven with the angels and she'll always be watching over you. Always. She'd be so proud of you," Mrs Hughes smiled.

The small boy continued to gaze at her. He looked so scared, so vulnerable. Mrs Hughes decided to try to lighten the tone a little.

"And you've gotten so tall. When I last saw you, you were this tall …" Mrs Hughes explained, as she held her hand just a few inches from the floor.

"… and now … well … you must be taller than me! Taller than a house in fact!" she teased warmly.

Charlie giggled at that. He liked this lady. She was kind and she had a nice voice. He liked her voice very much; it sounded like she was singing.

"Am I gonna live with you now?" he asked.

"You are Charlie, yes. Is that alright with you?"

Charlie thought for a second and then nodded.

Mrs Hughes smiled in response. _Well, that's a start at least._

"Where will we live?" he asked.

"We will live at a place called Downton Abbey. It's where I work and so you'll live there with me," she explained.

"That's where Mam used to live," he said immediately, recognising the name. His Mam had mentioned it to him.

"Yes it is. My, you are a clever lad for remembering that," she praised, and the little boy looked thrilled with the compliment.

 _He's a bright boy_ , Mrs Hughes thought. Certainly, he won't have had any formal education as yet, but he is naturally bright and inquisitive, she could see that.

"I can count to ten as well," he offered, to prove his intelligence further.

Mrs Hughes beamed brightly.

"You never can! Four years old and you can already count to ten … well, that is wonderful. You'll be able to help me with my sums at Downton. I like counting too."

Charlie nodded enthusiastically, his face lighting up on hearing such praise.

"Well then, perhaps it is time to make a move eh?" she suggested, catching the eye of the Children's Home Manager who had been watching silently from across the room.

The other woman smiled and nodded at Mrs Hughes, signalling her agreement.

Mrs Hughes bent down to pick up the small bag containing Charlie's belongings from the floor. Charlie slid down from the sofa as she did so.

As she stood upright, she was surprised to feel a small, warm hand clasp her fingers. She looked down at the little boy in surprise. He looked up at her anxiously, almost as if he was wondering if it was alright to hold her hand. She squeezed his fingers softly, rubbing her thumb back and forth comfortingly across his hand, winking at him with sparkling eyes. Charlie grinned at Mrs Hughes and gripped her hand more tightly.

"Let's go then Charlie," she said.

"Let's go," he repeated cheerfully, making Mrs Hughes laugh fondly.

The two walked out of the room hand in hand.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Your reviews are so kind- thank you. This chapter focuses on Mrs Hughes and Charlie as they travel to Downton. Mr Carson will feature very soon I promise! X**_

Chapter 4

Charlie hadn't let go of her hand during the entire journey back to Downton. It was almost as if he was scared Mrs Hughes would disappear if he did so. _He's lost his Mam and he's worried he's going to lose me as well_ , she thought. They had shared some shortbreads and bottle of lemonade on the bus, the little boy eagerly tucking into the biscuits. He had been delighted to sit next to the window and Mrs Hughes pointed out things of interest as they passed by. He was used to living in a town and so he was fascinated to see the countryside and the sheep and the cows as they made their way to Downton.

They had just departed the bus and were walking along the path to the Abbey.

"So, Charlie, I've had an extra bed put in my room for you. It's not a large room but it's plenty big enough for the two of us," Mrs Hughes explained.

"I have me own bed?" he asked in wonder.

 _He's never had his own bed before_ , the Housekeeper realised.

"Yes, you are a growing lad and so I think it's time you had your own bed, don't you?" she smiled.

He looked excited for a second and then panic washed over him.

"But it's near to you?" he asked. He had always slept close to his Mam.

"Yes, of course. Just beside me," she reassured, as he smiled once more.

"And is Downy-ton really big?" he asked.

She smiled; he couldn't quite manage to say Downton.

"It is. Very big. But lots of people live there. You'll get to meet them. Mr Carson is in charge. He is a kind man although he sometimes pretends to be a little grumpy …"

Charlie giggled at that.

"… and then there's Mrs Patmore who cooks for all of us. She is very funny."

"What do wi get to eat?" he asked eagerly.

"Ooh lots of lovely food. Stews, soups, meat, vegetables, bread, cheese. And lovely puddings. Mrs Patmore is a wonderful Cook," she explained, amused by the enthusiasm she witnessed on his face.

"Can wi really eat all of that … like really?" he asked, amazed by that thought.

Mrs Hughes chuckled, both at his excitement and at the slightly coarse dialect that kept seeping through. She would teach him to use proper English eventually but there was plenty of time for that; he sounded lovely.

"Well, we normally don't eat all of that in one sitting but yes, we get to eat all of that," she explained in amusement.

"I'll never fit it all in!" he gasped, seemingly happy to try his best to do so.

Mrs Hughes laughed happily as Charlie continued to look amazed at the thought of all of that food.

"Oh, we'll fit it in that tummy somehow," she smiled, reaching down to tickle his stomach, as he chuckled delightedly too.

######

The Abbey loomed larger and larger as they approached and she felt his hand gripping hers more tightly. She couldn't imagine how imposing the Abbey must look to someone so small who had never seen such a grand house before.

"It's alright Charlie, it doesn't feel as big once you are inside," she tried to soothe, yet he still looked nervous.

Since Mr Barratt's visit a couple of days ago, Mrs Hughes had fretted repeatedly that the Abbey was not a suitable place to bring up a child. _The lad deserves a home of his own, a small garden to play in, a mother who can focus on him rather than her work. He deserves a family, a father and a mother, perhaps siblings. Instead he will live at the Abbey with me, sharing my small bedroom and spending his day's downstairs. He deserves so much more,_ she worried.

However, she then reminded herself that it could be a lot worse. _He will have a much better life with you than he would have in the orphanage. You will care for him, show him love. You will do your very best for him. Sadly, despite Ethel's love, the lad hasn't had a stable upbringing. He's never really had a home. He's not had a father. God forbid what things he may have seen during his short life. You can provide stability and safety for him. It may not be perfect but he will be loved._

"Missus Hoos," he said quietly, breaking the Housekeeper from her reverie.

"Yes Charlie."

"What if the people at Downy-ton hate me? Will I have to leave?" he asked anxiously.

Mrs Hughes stopped walking, shocked by this question. She placed their bags on the ground and crouched down to reach Charlie's level. He had tears in his eyes, as she reached out to hold his sides.

Before she could speak, he added,

"Me mam's friend hated me, he didn't want me near him."

 _Goodness knows who Ethel's 'friend' was, probably some man after only one thing. It also possibly explains how Ethel and her son ended up in a refuge,_ Mrs Hughes thought.

"Now you listen to me young man, no-one at Downton is going to hate you. They are nice people. And you are the most wonderful little boy. They are going to love you as soon as they meet you. Who could not love this handsome little chap, eh?" she smiled, bussing his cheek gently.

He smiled through his tears.

"And if we ever do move away from Downton, we'll move together, you and I. You are stuck with me now I am afraid. Always. And if anyone dares to ever be mean to you, they'll have me to answer to!" she joked, making a scary face to try to make him laugh again.

Charlie smiled more brightly this time.

"I'll always have you?" he asked, seeking confirmation one last time.

"Always," she said confidently.

 _She knew that no-one on earth could make such a promise, it was in the hands of god, however in this instance, a little white lie was more than justified to reassure the boy._

Charlie threw himself forward, his arms wrapping tightly around her neck. She almost lost her balance with the force of his hug but she steadied herself and cuddled him tightly to her.

"Always," she whispered again.

 _ **A/N: Next chapter- finally Big Charlie meets Little Charlie x**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews, including those reviews from guest reviewers who I cannot thank personally. They mean the world to me and help me to keep updating. Hope you enjoy this chapter x_**

Chapter 5

The staff were just finishing their dinner as Mrs Hughes and Charlie arrived at the House. Charlie clung to her side as they walked along the corridor to the Servant's Hall. The staff were expecting them of course, Mrs Hughes had told everyone the previous day about recent developments.

"Come on then, let's go and say hello," Mrs Hughes cheered, as she gave his small hand a little squeeze.

The noise and chatter were silenced as they walked into the hall. Mr Carson was the first to put his cutlery down and stand to greet Mrs Hughes and the little boy. The other staff followed. Charlie recoiled at the loud noise caused by the scraping of chairs; he hadn't been expecting that. He continued to hold Mrs Hughes's hand tightly and with his free hand he gripped her skirt, moulding himself into her side.

"It's alright pet, they just want to say hello," she soothed.

The little boy nodded but he didn't let go of the Housekeeper. Mr Carson's heart melted as he saw the way the boy clung to Mrs Hughes and her use of the endearment _pet_ for the small boy, nearly finished him off completely. _Goodness Charles Carson, get a grip. This will never do_ , he scolded himself, pushing his shoulders back to his most rigid position.

"Charlie, this is Mr Carson …" Mrs Hughes said warmly, introducing the Butler.

"I am pleased to meet you Charlie," Mr Carson boomed formally, holding out his hand to welcome the little boy.

Mrs Hughes bit her lip to stop her laughter; only Mr Carson would greet a four-year-old boy with such a solemn gesture. Charlie stared at the hand out in front of him; he had never shaken anyone's hand before but he had seen other people do this. He reached out tentatively and watched as his tiny hand disappeared inside the huge hand of the Butler.

"Nice to meet ye," Charlie whispered sweetly, as he shook the Butler's hand whilst still holding onto Mrs Hughes with his other hand. Mr Carson made sure to be gentle with his handshake.

Despite Mr Carson nodding seriously in reply, Mrs Hughes was sure she noticed a sparkle in the eyes of the Butler as he heard Charlie's response.

Most people were quite intimidated on first meeting the formidable Butler of Downton Abbey. Yet despite his nerves, Charlie wasn't intimidated at all. Charlie instantly liked Mr Carson and he was fascinated by him. He was so tall, almost a giant, and his deep voice sounded like Father Christmas. The young boy gazed upwards at the Butler with a smile on his face, as he had that thought.

"And this is Mrs Patmore Charlie," Mrs Hughes explained, as the smiling Cook walked from the kitchen to greet them.

The young boy had to tear himself away from gazing at Mr Carson. _The giant man hasn't smiled yet. I wonder if he'll ever smile?_ Charlie wondered. _He must be pretending to be grumpy, just like Mrs Hughes said he sometimes does._ Charlie giggled at that thought, beaming up at Mr Carson before turning to Mrs Patmore.

"Hello Charlie, I am mighty pleased to meet you," she said cheerfully, ruffling his hair a little.

"You make the nice food, Missus Hoos told me," he smiled.

The Cook laughed heartily.

"I do indeed, in fact I have some special gingerbreads baking in the oven just for you," she smiled.

His mouth dropped open in delighted surprise.

Elsie introduced the young boy to a few of the other staff and then explained that she and Charlie would be having their dinner in her sitting room, as they'd had a long day and she wanted to get the young boy settled into his new home. As they both began to walk out of the Servant's Hall, Charlie could not take his eyes from Mr Carson. He walked towards the corridor with Mrs Hughes but he twisted his neck, smiling back at Mr Carson. _He really is like a giant_ , Charlie thought, mesmerised by the Butler as the Housekeeper tugged him along. The Butler noticed the spirted little lad grinning at him and he attempted to maintain his serious demeanour.

"I'll see ya tomorrow Mr Carson," Charlie shouted back over his shoulder enthusiastically.

Mrs Hughes chuckled at the young boy; he had obviously taken a shine to the Butler. Mr Carson coughed, pulling at his waistcoat, and grumbled a goodbye towards the young lad. He then gruffly ordered the staff to resume their seats at the table. It would not do to seem at all sentimental in front of the staff, he reasoned. He was the Butler of Downton Abbey and he needed to maintain their respect. Mrs Hughes might be willing to bring up a young boy whilst still carrying out her duties as Housekeeper but he needed to keep his distance from this irregular situation. _I cannot and will not be part of it,_ he reiterated silently to himself.

Mrs Hughes and Charlie enjoyed their dinner, Charlie feasting on the stew and dumplings that Mrs Patmore had prepared for them and his eyes almost popping out of his head when the apple pie and custard arrived. _He certainly likes his food_ , Mrs Hughes thought happily.

They had now headed upstairs for the night. Mrs Hughes had taken her half day to be able to collect Charlie and this also meant she could retire earlier than normal. She wasn't quite sure how they would manage during normal days when she had to work until late at the Abbey but she was sure they would find a way.

"Here we are, this is our room," she said, as she opened the door to her bedroom.

A couple of the hall boys had helped her move the furniture about and with some careful planning, they had managed to fit an additional small bed against the far wall. Charlie had his own small side table beside his bed, with a small lamp on top. Mrs Hughes had also asked for another chair to be brought from the attics, so there were now two comfy chairs under the window, instead of one. Lady Grantham has also encouraged Mrs Hughes to help herself to any toys she wished from the attics. The toys had been stored there since the Ladies of the House were young, some were even from Lord Grantham's youth, Mrs Hughes would guess. Little Sybbie had her own new toys and Master George was still too young to play with anything too complicated. Therefore, Elsie had selected a couple of wooden cars, an abacus and a jigsaw, some children's story books and some other small toys. She had also found a teddy bear that she thought Charlie might like and her one purchase so far had been some colouring pencils and a drawing pad from the village store. The toys were stored in a box by his bed, the story books and colouring materials stacked tidily on his side table, and the teddy bear lay against his pillow. Mrs Patmore had also kindly donated a lovely blue blanket for his bed to give him some extra warmth. The room was small but cosy and within the short time she had had, Mrs Hughes had managed to make a little corner of her room look suitable for an unexpected little boy.

The two walked through the door and Elsie placed his small bag and coat on her bed.

"That's your bed Charlie, and there's a few bits and bobs that I thought you might like," she explained.

She watched as he walked slowly across to his bed, firstly running his hand across the warm blanket. He then touched the teddy bear and looked downwards at the toy box. He then noticed the books and colouring pencils on the table and swiftly turned to face Mrs Hughes.

"Are these all mine?" he asked, full of wonder.

She smiled at that. It was obvious that the poor lad hadn't had much in his life. _He had the most important thing_ , she reminded herself again. _He was loved_.

"They are yes, I wanted you to feel at home. Do you like it?" she asked, looking around the bedroom and hoping that he did.

He nodded excitedly and she smiled back at him.

"That's good. Well then, it has been a long day and so why don't we unpack your things and then we can get ready for bed. You'll have plenty of time to play with your toys tomorrow," she said cheerily, although she was feeling unexplainably nervous all of a sudden. This was all so strange, she felt out of her depth and she only hoped she would do right by Charlie.

He nodded again and came over to stand beside her as she opened his small bag, emptying the few items of clothes that he'd had with him when the authorities took him from the refuge. Mrs Hughes smiled kindly as she folded the clothes neatly so that she could place them in the draw she had emptied. However, she made a mental note that she needed to get him some new clothes, the ones he had were very worn and threadbare. At the bottom of the bag, there was a small, ragged photo of Charlie as a baby in his mother's arms. Ethel must have had that taken whilst she still lived near Downton, the Housekeeper thought. She passed the photo to Charlie as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. He stared at the photo without saying a word.

"Why don't we go into the Village tomorrow and choose a lovely photo frame for that, umm? And then we can put that precious photo on your bedside table so that your Mam will always be close to you," she suggested softly, her voice a whisper as she watched Charlie look fondly at the photo of his Mam.

He looked up at Mrs Hughes and smiled.

"And this is my bed and so if you need anything at all during the night, you can just call my name and I'll be right there," she said, forcing herself to be cheerful as she tried to gather her emotions after the last few moments.

Charlie nodded again and then looked down at his toes, scuffing his foot gently on the stone floor as he pondered asking the Housekeeper something.

"Is everything alright Charlie?" she asked. She could see he was suddenly troubled.

He looked upwards shyly. _He has the most beautiful eyes_ , she thought, as she gazed at him.

"If I need to call your name, do I call you Missus Hoos?" he asked, scuffing his foot again on the floor.

"Umm, well yes … is that alright?" she asked.

He nodded but he looked sad again. She wasn't quite sure what he meant, something was bothering him. Realisation suddenly dawned on her. At least she thought she now realised what was on his mind.

"Unless, you want to call me something else?" she asked hesitantly. She would never presume.

He looked hopeful. The Housekeeper sat down on her bed and lifted him up to sit beside her.

"You … you are my new Mam now, aren't you?" he asked, never taking his eyes from her.

Mrs Hughes thought that she may burst into sobs on the spot; she had never dreamt that anyone would refer to her as that. She thought her chance to be a mother had long since passed her by.

"I am pet yes, if that is ok with you?"

A bright smile burst onto his face, as he nodded enthusiastically. He wanted this kind lady to be his new Mam. Mrs Hughes was very touched by his response and she marvelled at how a young child could adapt so swiftly. She supposed he needed to feel secure, to have an anchor to feel safe.

"Well then, you could call me Mam? Or perhaps Ma? That's what I called my mother," she explained, thinking on her feet that it may be better if he called her something different to the name he had used for Ethel. Mrs Hughes was in no way trying to take Ethel's place; Ethel was his real mother and she would always be an important figure in his life.

"I like Ma," he smiled, shuffling a little closer to the Housekeeper on the bed.

"Ma it is then," she said, her eyes glistening with tears.

She bent to kiss the top of his head, as he snuggled into her side.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews. I love to read them. Here is another chapter for you x**_

Chapter 6

Charlie's first full day at the House unfortunately coincided with an exceptionally busy day at the Abbey. A dinner to celebrate Lady Grantham's birthday was planned for that evening and they were expecting fifteen guests, additional to the Family, with four staying overnight. Mrs Hughes had had a frantic morning, ensuring all of the guest rooms, as well as the Great Hall and the dining room were in immaculate condition. Charlie had accompanied her on her morning rounds, seemingly enjoying this new adventure with his new mother, he hadn't left her side for a moment. Mrs Hughes had enjoyed having him with her but she knew this could not become a regular thing; she had managed to avoid bumping into any Family members that morning but she couldn't afford for them to see Charlie with her upstairs whilst she was carrying out her work; this would not be appropriate and she didn't want them to change their mind about letting him stay. She would need to plan a schedule so that Charlie was occupied and cared for downstairs, whilst she completed as much of her work as possible in the mornings, and then she could hopefully spend a few hours in the afternoon with him, maybe even visiting the Village or going for a walk with him to the Lake. Then she again needed to keep him busy in the early evenings whilst preparations for dinner were underway. Later in the evenings, when she completed her paperwork in her sitting-room, Charlie could be with her again.

She realised that a young lad should be in bed far earlier than her work day ended; she and Mr Carson were always the last to go upstairs to bed. However, she couldn't have him upstairs and alone in her attic bedroom whilst she was downstairs. Therefore, she had asked for a small sofa to be brought down to her sitting-room and she planned to get him ready for bed immediately after the Servant's dinner, and then he could snooze on the settee whilst she was doing her work. It wasn't ideal but it was the only way she could do her job and look after Charlie. She could then carry him up to bed, when she retired for the evening. Or maybe Mr Carson could carry him? _No, do not be silly, you cannot ask that of him. You are responsible for Charlie, no-one else_.

######

The Housekeeper's plan for Charlie to snooze downstairs until she was ready to retire had almost worked, except that he was now dozing whilst sitting on her knee and resting against her chest, rather than on the sofa. He was a very affectionate child and understandably, given his recent loss, he seemed desperate to be close to Mrs Hughes. She rested her chin on his hair, looking over the top of his head, to complete her accounts at her desk. Her left arm held him safely, as she totted up the figures and noted the sums with her right hand. She felt consumed with exhaustion but happy. Yes, she realised, she felt happy.

A gentle tap on the door almost startled her in her tired state but she smiled genuinely when she noticed the Butler standing in the doorway. She didn't know that he had been standing there for a few seconds before tapping, mesmerised by the sight of the Housekeeper and a sleeping Charlie in her arms.

"The men have gone up?" she asked, knowing that the Ladies from the party had already retired and those guests not staying overnight had left about an hour earlier.

"Yes, all done," he smiled, whispering so as not to wake Charlie.

"Good," she smiled.

"You've had a busy day," he added, knowing how busy the Housekeeper had been with her normal work, not to mention looking after a four-year-old child on top of that.

"Yes, it's been one for the books, that's for sure," she replied, laughing lightly.

"Can I get you anything? A cup of tea or a sherry perhaps?" he asked, although he feared that from now on it would be impossible for the pair to enjoy their usual nightcap together.

"No thank you Mr Carson. Another time though. It's been quite a day and I think I best get this little one up to bed," she said, looking down at Charlie in his pyjamas, curled up on her lap.

"He seems to have settled well," the Butler said, looking down at the dozing boy.

"Yes, so good so far, although I still need to work out a routine for him during the day," she said, gazing down at Charlie with a loving smile.

"I heard him calling you _Ma_ earlier," he said, a kind smile on his face.

Mrs Hughes blushed a little, feeling a little self-conscious. Charlie calling her _Ma_ would still take some getting used to.

"Umm … yes. He wanted to and so it seemed harmless enough," she flustered. The truth was, she had been very touched when Charlie had asked to call her this.

"Yes of course and it's what you are now I suppose," he said, feeling a little discomfited.

"Yes," she said softly, smiling as she rested her cheek against Charlie's soft hair.

 _Motherhood suits her,_ Mr Carson thought, feeling a pang of regret that he pushed speedily from his mind.

"Umm … would you like me to carry him up?" the Butler offered, somewhat uncomfortably.

Mrs Hughes looked at Mr Carson in surprise.

"You wouldn't mind?" she asked, trying not to read anything into that offer other than the Butler being polite.

She knew Mr Carson did not think Charlie should be at the Abbey and the Butler had kept a noticeable distance from the young lad all day, despite Charlie's repeated efforts to seek him out. Mrs Hughes wasn't even sure if Mr Carson had spoken to Charlie, whereas Mrs Patmore, Anna, even Mr Barrow, had all made a fuss of the young boy throughout the day. In fact, Mrs Patmore had offered to help as much as she possibly could with Charlie; a fact that gave Mrs Hughes much comfort.

"Of course not, you'll hurt yourself carrying him up all of those stairs," he said practically.

She nodded, as Mr Carson bent to lift Charlie from her lap. As gently as they tried to make this handover, the little lad began to stir. Mr Carson held him securely now, one arm around Charlie's back and the other under his bottom, to hold him snugly to his chest. Mrs Hughes rubbed the young boy's back to try to soothe him back to sleep.

"It's alright love, we are just taking you up to bed," she whispered, moving her hand to stroke his hair.

Mr Carson could not help but be affected by the tender manner Mrs Hughes used towards the boy. The Butler smiled at the Housekeeper.

Charlie settled happily again, his head resting on Mr Carson's shoulder. The Butler could feel his little sleepy breaths against his neck and the sensation of having the little lad in his arms and Mrs Hughes standing so close, still soothing the lad's hair, was quite overwhelming.

"Right, let's get him up then," he said, rather abruptly, as he tried to snap himself back to his Butler persona.

"Yes, yes of course," Mrs Hughes said, as she hurriedly gathered a few things from the room and then turned off the lamps in the hallway.

She followed Mr Carson as he made his way up the stairs. The Butler paused when he reached the landing where the male and female stairs parted.

"I can take him from here Mr Carson," she offered, not wanting to make the Butler feel uncomfortable; he would never normally enter the female side of the corridor.

He was silent for a couple of seconds before responding.

"No, no. It's alright. This is an exceptional circumstance, I am sure no-one would think it improper," he said, trying to convince himself as much as anything.

When they reached the door to the Housekeeper's bedroom, Mrs Hughes stepped in front of the Butler to open the door. She stepped inside, turning on the lamp. Mr Carson swallowed as he looked around the room; he had never even once been in this room before. For a moment, neither the Butler nor the Housekeeper said a word, as they both tried to settle their nerves in this very new situation. Eventually, Mrs Hughes gathered herself, and walked across to Charlie's bed, lifting the covers so that the Butler could lay him down. Mr Carson did so, with the utmost care so as not to wake the child. He then stepped backwards and watched as Mrs Hughes tucked the covers around Charlie and placed the teddy bear beside him. The Butler could see that she had adapted the room to make the boy feel at home, as he noticed the toy box and the colouring pencils and the small shirt and trousers hanging on the wardrobe which he guessed were ready for tomorrow. He smiled inwardly, thinking that the Housekeeper was the most organised person he knew.

Mrs Hughes turned to face the Butler with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr Carson. You've been a great help," she said warmly.

He coughed, tugging at his waistcoat. He never could cope with her praise or that smile.

"No thanks necessary, Mrs Hughes," he replied formally, attempting to regain some sense of normality as he stood rather helplessly in the centre of the room.

Another couple of seconds of silence.

"I'll bid you goodnight then Mr Carson. Let me open the adjoining door for you, no point in you walking all of the way back downstairs, just to come up again," she smiled, attempting some sort of humour as the atmosphere in the room had grown rather awkward.

"Yes, certainly, thank you," he replied, again rather solemnly.

"Goodnight Mrs Hughes," he offered, as he closed the door between their corridors.

"Goodnight Mr Carson," she whispered to the closed door, as she turned the key in the lock.

She shook her head, closing her eyes for a second. _That certainly was very awkward_ , she thought. Although she wasn't quite sure why. _Everything is a bit awkward at present, it will all settle down soon_ , she reasoned, as she returned to her room and a sleeping Charlie.

 _ **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this. If you have time, do let me know with a little review x**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N:_** ** _A speedy and fluffy update to thank you for all of your lovely reviews. Charlie settles into life at Downton- hope you enjoy x_**

Chapter 7

Mrs Hughes and Charlie were walking towards the Village, their clasped hands swinging back and forth between them as they chatted about this and that.

"So, we'll get those new trousers from Mrs Berry and then we may just have time to collect some sweeties from the shop, before heading down to the Lake."

His face beamed brightly.

"To feed the ducks?" he asked, confirming their plan.

"To feed the ducks," she smiled.

She adored watching the genuine enthusiasm of Charlie; the enthusiasm he had for even the smallest of things. He had been with her for just over a week now and she was starting to get a good feel for his likes and dislikes. Although to be fair, other than cabbage and brushing his teeth, there wasn't much he disliked. He seemed to enjoy every last thing. _Oh, and trousers_ , she smiled, thinking of his scrunched up little face when they had visited Mrs Berry two days ago for a fitting. The older woman had been a seamstress in her day and she still did bits of work for some of the villagers. She had kindly agreed to make three pairs of trousers for Charlie from some material Mrs Hughes had purchased, as well as a couple of shirts. Charlie preferred shorts, they were what he had been used to, but Mrs Hughes wanted him to have some smart, longer trousers as well, and in the cold winter months they would be a necessity. She has softened the blow of today's trip to collect his trousers, with the promise of feeding the ducks, his favourite pastime.

"Can we sing the duck song again Ma?" Charlie asked excitedly.

Mrs Hughes had been teaching the young boy some nursery rhymes over the last week, the ones she remembered from her own childhood. She chuckled as she looked down into Charlie's enthusiastic face; they must have sung this particular tune at least five times already today.

"Alright then, after three … one, two, three …"

"Five little ducks went swimming one day, over the hill and far away …" they chorused together as they continued their walk.

######

"Ma, we made a chocolate cake," he gasped, as Mrs Hughes walked into the kitchen, having completed her late afternoon rounds.

"Did you now?" she asked with a big grin, as he ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"Yep … it's cookin now. Mrs Patmore said that I can have the biggest slice," he said ecstatically, almost bouncing up and down.

"Well now, aren't you a lucky little chap. And I hope you've been a good boy for Mrs Patmore?" she asked, knowing that he would have been; he was a lovely young boy.

"I have," he said proudly.

"He's been as good as gold," the Cook confirmed, as she joined them, cuddling the little lad to her. He giggled as Mrs Patmore tickled his side.

"Told ya!" he declared to his Ma, as both the Housekeeper and Cook chuckled at his spark.

######

The Staff had just finished their dinner. A couple of maids sat at the end of the table completing some sewing. Mr Molesley was chatting to Anna over a cup of tea. Mr Carson sat in his chair at the end of the table reading his newspaper and Mrs Hughes sat with Charlie completing a jigsaw, as she sipped a much needed glass of red wine. The little lad had enjoyed a short doze in her sitting-room but he was now wide awake. All of the other staff had already gone upstairs to their rooms, having finished their duties for the day.

As they completed the jigsaw, Charlie kept glancing to his left to look at Mr Carson as he was reading his newspaper. He had noticed that the giant man didn't speak much, well not to him anyway, but he was still as fascinated with him as he had been on his first day at the Abbey. He was so tall and his voice so loud and Charlie knew from his Ma that Mr Carson was a nice man.

"Mrs Hughes, Her Ladyship wondered if she could have a quick word about a change for tomorrow's dinner?" Miss Baxter explained, as she entered the Servant's Hall.

"Now?" Mrs Hughes asked, as this was a somewhat unusual request at this hour.

"Yes, I am afraid so," Mrs Baxter said apologetically, as she looked at the Housekeeper and the small boy.

"I can keep an eye on Charlie Mrs Hughes," Anna smiled from across the table.

"Oh, thank you Anna. Now then, let's see if you can finish this jigsaw by the time I come back … eh?" Mrs Hughes said to the young boy.

"Ma, can I read instead?" he asked excitedly, an idea forming in his mind.

Mrs Hughes again smiled at his eagerness and at the fact she knew he couldn't read yet. He had never made such a request before but she certainly did not want to dampen his enthusiasm.

"And what would you like to read?" she asked kindly.

"The same as Mr Carson!" he exclaimed.

The adults around the table smiled at this request, with Mr Molesley offering his copy of the local newspaper to Mrs Hughes. Mr Carson's eyebrows raised in amusement but he didn't say a thing. He had been furiously trying to keep his distance from the boy all week; something told him that if he didn't, it may somehow make things very complicated. However, it wasn't easy; the young boy was always around and seemed an absolute delight; the rest of the Staff had taken Charlie utterly to their hearts already. Mrs Hughes handed the newspaper to Charlie, biting her lip as she watched him trying with some difficulty to hold it out in front of him like Mr Carson was currently doing. She eventually folded it in half to make it easier for him. She then topped up his glass of milk, kissed his head softly and assured him she would be back soon.

"You enjoy your newspaper," Mrs Hughes teased warmly.

"We will Ma," Charlie returned seriously, including Mr Carson in his reply.

The young boy kept sneaking a look at the Butler and every time Mr Carson turned a page, Charlie did the same. He even tried to imitate the same rumbling noises that the giant man often made when he read something in the newspaper that he didn't agree with. Finally, he raised his milk to his lips every time Mr Carson took a sip of red wine. Anna, Miss Baxter and Mr Molesley watched this adorable display from across the table. It was obvious that the young boy worshipped Mr Carson and despite his solemn demeanor, they all believed that the Butler may also be developing a soft spot for the young boy.

Mr Carson remained focused on his newspaper but he furtively picked up a biscuit from the table, without even looking at Charlie, and snuck it to the young boy under the table. Charlie's eyes lit up as he took the biscuit and grinned at Mr Carson. The Butler caught his glance and gave him a wink. Charlie giggled heartily, enjoying this secret with the Butler as he nibbled the biscuit. A minute or two later, Charlie picked up another biscuit from the table and made to hand it to Mr Carson. However, he couldn't quite reach and so he slid down from his chair that was positioned to the right of the Housekeeper's seat and walked over to the Butler. He tapped on Mr Carson's arm.

"For you," he grinned, holding out the biscuit to Mr Carson and resting his free hand on Mr Carson's leg.

He was at ease with the Butler, as he leant against Mr Carson's side, smiling broadly. Mr Carson's heart warmed as he looked at the little boy. He could feel the walls he had been trying to build begin to crumble.

"Well thank you very much Charlie," he said, as he took the biscuit and popped the whole thing in his mouth with great aplomb.

Charlie shrieked with laughter at this, amazed that the whole biscuit had disappeared.

"You ate it all in one go!" he exclaimed, draping himself over Mr Carson's leg, doubled up in giggles.

"Well it was a very nice biscuit," Mr Carson joshed, not being able to help the wide grin that appeared on his lips as he watched the young lad lean against him in fits of giggles.

Without any warning, Charlie decided to clamber up to sit on Mr Carson's knee; taking the Butler completely by surprise. He was an affectionate boy and he liked Mr Carson very much and to Charlie it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do. He rested his little hand on Mr Carson's chest as he smiled up at him and said through his laughter,

"You are funny!"

The Butler couldn't help laughing as well as he smiled down at Charlie.

"Are you comfortable down there then?" Mr Carson teased cheerfully.

"Yep," Charlie replied, giving a big nod of his head, as he reached up to stroke the Butler's face.

Mr Carson was quite touched by the familiarity of the young boy and he decided in that moment that it couldn't do any real harm to spend a little time with the lad.

"Shall we read this newspaper together then?" the Butler asked.

"Yes please," Charlie replied eagerly, as he leant back against the Butler's chest and he happily gazed at the newspaper, along with the Butler. Every time Mr Carson wanted to turn the page, he signaled to Charlie who delightedly then turned the page for him. The Butler would point out photographs to Charlie and despite not really understanding much, the young boy was in his element sitting with the Butler and listening to his voice.

This was the sight that greeted Mrs Hughes when she approached the Servant's Hall five minutes later; Charlie on Mr Carson's knee as they gazed at the newspaper happily together. The Butler's arm wound securely around the young boy so that he couldn't fall. Her heart soared in her chest at the sight, as she paused in the doorway not wanting to disturb them for even a second.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Ma, do I have to?" Charlie asked, looking down at his long trousers in dismay.

Mrs Hughes bit her lip to stop herself laughing at the disgruntled look on his little face.

"Yes, you do. We are going to Church and everyone has to look their very best for Church. And you look so very smart," she said warmly, fastening his jacket.

"They feel funny and I'm too hot," he said, scrunching his face again as he wriggled about where he stood.

"Well it's cold and wet outside and so you'll soon be glad of the extra warmth," she said.

She shook her head fondly at the little boy as she realised that nothing she said was going to improve his opinion of his new trousers.

"What do we have here then? My, you look very smart Charlie, like a proper grown up gentleman," Mr Carson boomed from the doorway.

He had heard the previous conversation between the Housekeeper and the little boy and he thought he might be able to help.

"Do I?" Charlie asked excitedly, thrilled that Mr Carson felt he looked grown up.

"You do indeed. It's the trousers I think. All gentlemen need to wear smart trousers for Church," he added, sharing a knowing, happy glance with Mrs Hughes over the boy's head.

Charlie suddenly began to like his new trousers, as he looked down at his legs. _If Mr Carson likes them, they must be a good thing._

"They are new, Ma got them for me," he explained.

"Well, aren't you a lucky little fella then. I hope you thanked your Ma. That was very kind of her," he said, smiling at the boy.

Charlie quickly spun around to face the Housekeeper.

"Thank you Ma," he said sweetly, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her closely.

"You are welcome pet, now let's get to Church," she said, rolling her eyes warmly as he skipped out of the door to the corridor.

Mrs Hughes heard Mrs Patmore greet Charlie and so she knew he was in safe hands.

"Thank you for that," she said, laughing gently.

"My pleasure. Umm … I thought we may walk to Church together," he said, rather uncertainly.

He was not at all sure how things would work now that Mrs Hughes had Charlie but he certainly hoped that some things would not change.

"That would be lovely," she replied, as a soppy smile appeared on Mr Carson's face.

######

Charlie had walked most of the way to Church holding Mrs Patmore's hand, as the Cook walked to Church alongside Daisy. Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes walked a few steps behind them, catching up on a few household matters, as well as discussing some Village events.

As they neared the Church, Charlie ran back to the Housekeeper, taking hold of her hand. It was the first time he had been to Church and he wasn't sure what to expect. Mrs Hughes had pointed out the building to him as they had visited the Village and she had said it could get a little cold inside. She had also told him that they needed to sit quietly in the Church, listening to the words of the Vicar. They should only speak when it came to saying the prayers. He didn't know what prayers were but Mrs Hughes said that he needn't worry and he should just try to remember one word, _Amen_. He had practiced saying this word many times. He had also enjoyed practicing putting his hands together for when they said these prayers and he knew that at one point, they would get up and walk to the front of the Church. He would hold his Ma's hand for that bit. They should also join in with the singing. Mrs Hughes said they could sing as loudly and as happily as they wanted. He was a little anxious but also excited, even more so because Mr Carson and Mrs Patmore were with them.

Charlie sat in between his Ma and Mr Carson on the wooden bench. He gazed around the building filled with people. During the Church service, when it was time to pray, Mrs Hughes and Charlie put their hands together as they had practiced.

"Well done," she whispered, as he beamed up at her proudly.

He listened and listened, the prayer seemed to last for ages, but he finally heard it and he declared enthusiastically _'Aaa … men'_ in his loudest voice.

Mrs Patmore turned around from her pew in front to give him a huge wink. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson smiled at him fondly, as the Housekeeper bent to kiss his forehead.

"Good boy Charlie, that was perfect," she praised, as he snuggled happily against her side.

Later in the service, as they walked back up the aisle to their pew following communion, Charlie was desperate to speak to his Ma. He pulled at her arm and whispered,

"He touched my head!"

He then giggled joyously, covering his mouth with his free hand as he knew he was meant to be silent. Mrs Hughes chuckled too as they sat back down.

"That's what the Vicar does to children. He was giving you a blessing so that God takes care of you," she explained.

"But you already take care of me," he whispered, wondering why he also needed God.

"Yes I do, but God can help a little as well," she said, smiling down at the sweet boy who was now her son. She felt truly blessed.

"Church is funny!" he declared happily, as Mrs Hughes stifled another chuckle.

######

"And this must be Charlie," Lady Grantham smiled, as she and Mrs Crawley walked over to speak to Mrs Hughes. She had not met the little boy yet, although she had been instrumental in allowing him to come to Downton.

"It is Milady. Charlie, this is Lady Grantham. She is the lady I mentioned; she lives upstairs at Downton. Downton is her home. And this is Mrs Crawley," she explained.

"Pleased to meet ya," he said sweetly, as both women grinned warmly at him.

"And we are delighted to meet you Charlie. Are you enjoying living at Downton?" Mrs Crawley asked.

"Yep. I love it. My Ma looks after me and we go on adventures and feed the ducks," he explained, all in one breath.

The women laughed.

"Do you really? Well that sounds wonderful. You have a very nice Ma," Lady Grantham replied.

Mrs Hughes blushed a little but couldn't help feeling touched.

"I know! Ma is the best. Everyone likes her because she is really kind. Ma makes Mr Carson happy too. He always smiles at her," he explained innocently, simply stating what he had observed.

Mrs Hughes began to cough, almost choking. She had no idea where that last comment had come from. Charlie had never said such a thing before! _Honestly, where on earth did he get that idea from,_ she wondered.

The two women laughed warmly again, as Mrs Hughes blushed, shaking her head a little.

"What are you like!" Mrs Hughes gasped, laughing through her embarrassment.

Charlie wasn't sure what he had said that was so funny but he chuckled as well, as the Housekeeper hugged him to her side.

"Well we best be off," Mrs Hughes said, thinking that they best move or who knows what he'd come out with next!

They said their goodbyes and then headed back across to meet Mrs Patmore and Mr Carson. However, they stopped on their way when two of the Village women approached them.

"Good Morning Mrs Hughes and this must be Charlie," Mrs Thornton said.

There was something about her tone that was more nosey than friendly.

"Yes indeed, this is Charlie. Charlie say hello to Mrs Thornton and Mrs Bailey. They live in the Village," Mrs Hughes explained.

"Pleased to meet ya," he replied sweetly. He was getting used to meeting new people now.

"And this is of course, Ethel's son … we remember _her_ alright … don't we Mrs Bailey?" she said knowingly, a note of distain in her voice.

Mrs Hughes needed to get Charlie away from these two women as quickly as possible before they said another word about Ethel but she needed to do so without upsetting the lad or showing any rudeness in front of him to these horrid women. She knew that Ethel being an unmarried mother had been the talk of the Village for quite some time all of those years ago.

"This is Ethel's son yes. And he is a credit to Ethel. She was a wonderful Mam to him but sadly she died and so he is living with me now and I am so lucky to have him. Charlie is a wonderful young boy," she said proudly, bending down to pick him up off the floor.

Charlie smiled joyously, cuddling his Ma as she kissed his cheek.

"Good day to you Ladies," she said, as she turned to walk away.

The Housekeeper heard one of them mutter the word _'bastard'_ under their breath as she walked away. Mrs Hughes felt quite shaken but she tried not to let it show and she kept walking. Thankfully, Charlie was blissfully unaware that anything was wrong as he wrapped his arms around his Ma's neck and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I love ya Ma," he whispered, feeling very content.

Mrs Hughes felt tears well in her eyes.

"I love you too sweetheart, very much," she soothed, stroking his hair and hugging him even closer.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hope you like this chapter. It's mainly Chelsie x**_

Chapter 9

"Are you alright?" Mrs Patmore asked, observing the Housekeeper's expression as she walked back towards them with Charlie in her arms.

"I'll tell you later," Mrs Hughes whispered over the top of Charlie's head to both the Cook and the Butler.

They both looked at her with concern. She then answered for Charlie to hear,

"Yes, thank you, I have never been better Mrs Patmore. Isn't that right my little lad?" she joked, as Charlie sat back in her arms.

"Yes Ma!" he cheered, giving her a loving hug before she lowered him to the ground and ruffled his hair.

"Right then, let's get back to the House," Mrs Hughes smiled, forcing herself to sound happy.

She was full of worry for Charlie. She did not care what anyone said about her but she would never want him to be treated cruelly.

"Ma, can we walk back by the Lake?" he asked, eyes wide open in hope.

"Why not!" she said lovingly, tickling him under his chin.

######

"Just wait until I see them- I'll go to town on them. I will!" Mrs Patmore declared furiously, having heard from Mrs Hughes what had happened.

Mrs Hughes had asked Mr Barrow to take Charlie outside to play with a football for ten minutes, so that she could explain to Mrs Patmore and Mr Carson what had happened.

"I've got a good mind to go back to the Village right now to have it out with them!" Mrs Hughes stormed.

Her upset had turned into fury.

"It is perhaps better if you calm a little first Mrs Hughes, we do not want to make things worse by causing a huge scene, that may make it even worse for Charlie," Mr Carson said compassionately.

He was seething with anger himself but he was trying to remain calm to think what best to do.

Mrs Hughes knew that he was right but she really wanted to give those women a piece of her mind.

"To speak negatively about a young boy's Mam, when she's only just died. And goodness knows what else they were about to say. Then to call him that name … it's just …" Mrs Hughes paused, as her voice began to wobble. Her hurt and worry rising to the surface once again.

"Well at least Charlie didn't realise they were being cruel … let's at least be thankful for that," Mrs Patmore said, squeezing the Housekeeper's hand.

Mrs Hughes nodded thankfully at the Cook.

"I just worry, if Mrs Thornton and Mrs Bailey are thinking ill of him due to his parentage, will others think that too? What about when he goes to school? I don't want other children repeating horrid words and calling him a _bast_ … oh I can't even say it … and it's so unfair, Ethel may have made a mistake but she loved that boy with all of her heart. He is a beautiful child, polite and kind. He doesn't deserve to be tarnished forever more," she worried.

"And he won't be. We'll see to that," Mr Carson said firmly.

The Butler flushed pink when the two women grinned warmly at him. Mrs Hughes was particularly grateful for his use of the term _'We'._

"Thank you. Thank you both," Mrs Hughes smiled.

"We just need to think how best to approach this. Ethel made a mistake ... I am aware that I showed little sympathy at the time ... but it is clear that she did her best for Charlie and ... well … he now has the most highly-respected woman as his mother. He will be fine. More than fine in fact," Mr Carson said with certainty.

"Yes of course he will," Mrs Hughes replied, finally feeling a sense of calm.

######

Mr Carson peeped into the Housekeeper's sitting room from the corridor, watching as Mrs Hughes sat on the sofa with Charlie. The child was asleep, his head resting on her lap. She stroked his hair as he dozed.

Mrs Hughes pondered the events of the day. She would do anything for this boy and even though she had wanted to march down to the Village to tear a strip off those women, Mr Carson had been right, she needed to find a different approach. However, this much she did know, she would never allow anyone to be cruel to Charlie. _Never._

Mr Carson watched Mrs Hughes, worry and concern etched across her face, her shoulders sagging as she turned over the day's events in her mind. He couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear to see Mrs Hughes so distressed. _How dare those women! How dare they! Mrs Hughes is the finest and kindest woman that ever lived. Charles is a delightful, innocent little boy. Neither of them deserve a second of upset_ _or pain._ That thought was the final straw; he was going to sort this out, once and for all.

######

"Oh Mr Carson. Where have you been? We've been worried about you," Mrs Hughes said as she paced towards him, as Mr Carson came through the Servant's entrance, wearing his top coat and bowler hat.

It had actually only been her that had worried but she wasn't about to admit that.

"I … umm … I had to pop out," he stuttered.

He was now feeling a little sheepish; he had stopped Mrs Hughes from confronting those women and now he had done exactly that. Although if he was honest, he did not regret a second of it, not at all.

"Pop out? At this time of the day. Mr Barrow had to ring the dinner gong. You never miss the gong. Are you alright?" she asked, full of concern.

"I am fine Mrs Hughes, honestly. I am fine," he said, looking down at the floor.

There was no way he could lie to Mrs Hughes and he knew how she worried about him. He would have to tell her.

She was increasing fretful now; Mr Carson looked very anxious.

"Mr Carson, what's wrong?" she asked, her panic rising.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. I … umm … it's just that … well … I may have visited Mrs Thornton and Mrs Bailey," he said.

He tried to remain solemn despite the soft, warm expression that was now coming his way from Mrs Hughes.

"You may have?" she smiled, in amusement.

He coughed, feeling unbalanced.

"I did. I did visit them. Both of them. I know it was not my place and I know that I told you not to. I am an utter hypocrite and I admit it … but … well … I didn't like to see you upset and I was not going to allow anyone to upset Charlie," he said, still trying but failing to sound professional and formal.

He was ready for a torrent of anger to come his way. Mrs Hughes was an independent woman and he had no right to act on her behalf.

"Thank you Mr Carson," she said softly, reaching out to touch his arm.

That was all she could do, despite wanting to wrap him up in the warmest of hugs; anything more would be inappropriate.

"You are not angry?" he asked, still unsure.

"Not at all. I am very grateful Mr Carson," she replied sincerely, gazing at him lovingly.

His eyes never left hers. _This woman meant the world to him. He wished he could tell her._

"They won't say another word, you can be sure of that," he said, trying to refocus on the matter in hand.

"Thank you. It is nice to know that Charlie has a wonderful protector in you," she said, feeling overcome with emotion at that thought.

She gazed at the Butler; knowing that he was the kindest of men despite his bluster. She became lost in her thoughts for a moment and then suddenly became aware that she had been staring at him for longer than was proper.

"And to think that you didn't want Charlie to come to Downton," she teased warmly, to try to get herself back on an even keel.

She meant no offence at all and the Butler knew it. Mr Carson smiled helplessly at the Housekeeper. _She is such a lovely woman._

 _"_ Thank you for looking out for Charlie," she said, thanking him one final time.

 _He wanted to tell her. Tell her that he didn't just do it for Charlie. He did it for her. For her and Charlie. He cared for her. He always had._ _Yet, he couldn't. It would be inappropriate. He was her colleague. He had already risked their friendship by getting himself involved so deeply. He couldn't say anymore._

"You are welcome," he therefore replied.

His heart thumped in his chest as she gave him one last grateful smile and then walked back to the Servant's Hall. He was awash with regret. _You should have told her._


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter. Mr Carson, of course, spoke to Lady Grantham on behalf of Mrs Hughes when he thought the Housekeeper was ill, therefore, I thought it wasn't too much of a stretch to think he may also get involved in this instance to support Mrs Hughes and Charlie. In this chapter we find out a little more about Charlie's past x**_

Chapter 10

Mrs Hughes was woken from her slumber by loud shouts. She was disorientated at first and then with horror, she realised they were coming from Charlie. She scrambled out of bed and across to him. He was tossing and turning, shouting out jumbled words, although one word was clear. _Mam! Mam!_ He shouted. He sounded scared.

She sat him upright, pulling him into her arms, trying to soothe him.

"It's alright Charlie, it's alright. You are having a bad dream. You are safe. You are here at Downton. I am here. You are safe pet, it's alright," she continued to murmur against his hair as she felt him eventually calm and begin to rouse from his sleep.

"He is coming to get us," he cried, in a half-asleep, half-awake murmur.

"Shh now love. You are alright. No-one is coming to get anyone. You are safe," she added.

Charlie seemed to eventually realise where he was and he gave an exhausted smile towards the Housekeeper.

"It was just a bad dream pet," she tried again, smiling at him warmly.

"A bad dream," he repeated, tears in his eyes.

He then looked downwards, immediately feeling very worried as he recognised what had happened. Mrs Hughes followed his eyeline and realised too.

"It's alright love, we'll get that all cleaned up," she soothed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"There is nothing to be sorry about. You've just had a little accident. It could happen to any of us," she reassured, stroking his face.

"Really? You aren't angry?" he asked anxiously. _His Mam's friend had always been very angry whenever that had happened._

"Of course I'm not. You haven't done anything wrong. It was an accident. Now, let's get you cleaned up and into some fresh pyjamas eh? Then how about you snuggle in with me for the rest of the night. You can be my very own little hot water bottle?" she teased gently.

Charlie giggled at this and nodded enthusiastically, a big smile appearing on his face.

"Right then, let's get you changed," she soothed.

######

The morning had been event free as Mrs Hughes completed her rounds. Although she had chosen to keep Charlie with her this morning, rather than leaving him in the care of Mrs Patmore or Anna as she usually did in the mornings. He was much brighter but she could see he was still a little shaken following his dream. She also knew that she needed to talk to him about the things he had said; this fear of someone coming to get him and Ethel. She did not want to upset him again but she thought that if they talked about it, it may help him. They were currently doing a jigsaw at her desk in her sitting-room and so she thought this was probably as good a time as ever.

"Charlie, are you feeling alright now? I know you had a very bad dream last night," she asked gently.

He looked up at her, as he sat on her knee.

"I'm alright. I don't like bad dreams," he offered quietly, placing another piece of the jigsaw in place.

"No, me neither. Bad dreams are horrible," she agreed.

"Do you have them?" he asked, amazed by this. He thought it only happened to him.

"Sometimes yes, although not as much as I used to. I've found it helps to talk about what I dream about, then I don't dream about it quite so much," she said, hoping this would encourage him to talk to her.

He looked up at his new Ma, seeming to process what she had just said.

"It was Peter. Mam's friend. He wasn't nice to Mam. He hated me. He used to shout at me," he said, looking down at his knees.

Mrs Hughes stroked his hair gently and kissed his forehead.

"Well he sounds like a horrible man …" she began, pausing before her next question. _There must be more to this than the man shouting at Charlie._

"… did he ever hit you Charlie?" she asked as softly as she could.

He looked up at her again. He nodded.

"One time he hit me … and he hit Mam ... lots of times," he said, tears in his eyes.

"Oh love, that's awful. That must have been terrible for you and your Mam," she said.

He nodded again, as she wiped his tears with her handkerchief.

"That's why we moved," he said. _To the refuge_ , Mrs Hughes thought.

She then had an even more worrying thought, _could it have been this Peter that had beaten Ethel to death?_ No culprit had been found, as far as she was aware. Mr Barratt did mention this 'friend' of Ethel's but he suggested that the police thought her death was more likely linked to Ethel's occasional work as a prostitute. Mrs Hughes shuddered at that thought. _Either way was equally horrific._

"Mam was worried he would come and find us," he said. His words broke Mrs Hughes's heart. _The poor lad should not have experienced such fear and violence at his age. He should have been protected, he should not have had any such worries._

"You do know that he will never be able to hurt you again. Never. You are safe now. You won't ever see him again," she smiled.

Charlie nodded, feeling very relieved. He felt safe with his new Ma. He felt safe at Downton.

"He was a bad man," Charlie stated.

"He was love. He was a very bad man. But not all men are like that. Most men are kind," she said, knowing that he had never had a positive male role model in his life.

"Like Mr Carson," he added brightly.

She laughed warmly at that. _He really does worship the Butler._

"Exactly. Just like Mr Carson," she smiled, deciding to leave it at that for now.

######

Mrs Hughes had a busy afternoon ahead, with much to organise for the following week. She had planned for Charlie to stay with her in her sitting-room whilst she did her work; she hoped she could keep him occupied with his colouring pencils and drawing pad. However, after sharing with Mr Carson what had transpired, the Butler had offered to take Charlie with him when we went to the Post Office later in the afternoon. He thought a walk and a bit of fresh air might help clear the lad's mind. The Housekeeper had readily agreed, secretly thrilled that Mr Carson was taking such an interest in the young boy.

Mrs Hughes smiled as she remembered the Butler's bumbling offer to take Charlie with him; he had tied himself up in knots as he made the suggestion. She could see that the Butler was falling for the little boy; no matter how hard he tried to hide this. She had assured Mr Carson that Charlie would love to go with him and that she would have him ready at three.

It was now half past two and Charlie was already in his coat and hat, sitting on the sofa. He had insisted that he wanted to get ready; so excited was he for his trip with the Butler. Mrs Hughes chuckled to herself as she watched the small boy; he was full of excited anticipation.

Eventually the time came, and the Butler knocked on her sitting-room door, dressed also in his coat and hat.

"Are you ready Charlie?" he asked.

"Ready!" he said enthusiastically, bounding down off the sofa.

Mrs Hughes stood up as well, grinning at the excited little boy. She knew that it said everything about the Butler that Charlie completely trusted him, particularly given his past experience.

"Now you be a very good boy for Mr Carson and don't tire him out will you? He needs to serve dinner later tonight and we can't have him falling asleep in the soup," Mrs Hughes teased, looking first at Charlie and then quirking a smile at the Butler.

Mr Carson shook his head playfully and Charlie giggled loudly.

"I won't Ma, love ya," he said, reaching up to give the Housekeeper a hug goodbye.

Mr Carson swallowed hard as he watched the young lad's affection for the Housekeeper.

"I love you too little one, now be off with you and enjoy your afternoon," she joshed, whispering _'thank you'_ to the Butler.

Charlie reached up and grasped Mr Carson's hand, once more surprising the Butler. The little lad simply beamed up at him, excited for their adventure. Mr Carson had to quickly gather himself as he felt Charlie's small fingers wrap around his own much larger fingers.

"Right then, let's be off," he managed.

"Let's be off," Charlie repeated, as he had a habit of doing.

Mrs Hughes gazed at them both devotedly as they walked out of the room.

 ** _A/N: A review would be lovely to let me know what you think x_**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mr Carson and Charlie walked happily to the Village hand in hand. The little boy kept up a stream of questions as they walked. _What is your favourite colour? Do you like custard? Have you always lived at Downy-ton? Why do ducks like bread?_

"Have you always been this tall?" he then asked, as Mr Carson chuckled.

"Not always. I wasn't quite as tall when I was a baby," the Butler replied.

Charlie giggled.

"Not when you were a baby, silly!" the little boy spluttered, slapping his side with his free hand at such an amusing thought.

Mr Carson grinned down at him; he was such a happy boy, despite the hardships of his young life. The Butler winced inwardly as he recalled what Mrs Hughes had told him. As if reading his mind, Charlie's demeanour suddenly changed before asking his next question.

"Mr Carson, have you ever hit someone?" he asked quietly.

Mr Carson stopped walking, wanting to give this question the considered response it deserved. They had reached the path by the Lake, having taken the long route to the Village at Charlie's request. He liked to see the ducks. There was a fallen tree trunk a few yards ahead.

"Let's have a sit down Charlie," he said kindly.

The young boy nodded as they both walked to the trunk to sit down. Mr Carson lifted Charlie high in the air before depositing him on the makeshift seat; he shrieked delightedly.

"Now then Charlie, I have never hit anyone. Never. I don't agree with violence," the Butler began. He wanted Charlie to know that not all men were like that horrid brute he had known.

Charlie listened carefully.

"I think men who hit others are weak, particularly those men who hit women and children. You should never need to frighten someone to feel good. A good man doesn't need to hit anyone," the Butler continued.

"And you are a good man," Charlie stated happily.

"I hope so," Mr Carson returned modestly.

"You are, Ma said so," the little boy returned sweetly.

Mr Carson felt ridiculously proud at that.

"I never want to frighten anyone. I want to be a good man when I grow up," the boy added, eyes open wide as he looked up, both figuratively and literally, to the Butler.

Mr Carson's heart melted as he looked at the kind little lad.

"And you will be … you are going to make a fine young man and you'll make your Ma very proud," Mr Carson said fondly.

Charlie looked overjoyed. He planned to be just like Mr Carson when he grew up.

"Now then, here's a little something for being such a kind boy, you can spend it on whatever you wish at the Village store," Mr Carson said, placing two six pences in Charlie's hand.

Charlie's face beamed brightly.

"Really? I can spend it on anything?" he gasped.

"Really. It's your money now," Mr Carson chuckled.

The young boy's mouth hung open. _I have never been so rich,_ he thought.

######

Mr Carson had completed his errand at the Post Office and they were now in the Village Store. They had been standing in the shop for a few minutes, Charlie gazing at the shelves of sweets, chocolates and other confectionery as he considered what to buy. Mr Carson withheld his laughter as he watched the little boy so seriously considering his options. Suddenly, Charlie's eyes lit up with an idea.

"I know, I'm going to buy Ma something!" he said, full of excitement.

Mr Carson could not have been prouder of the little boy; he was such a kind soul.

"Tell you what, you buy your Ma something with your money and I'll treat you and I to something … how about that?" Mr Carson suggested; wanting the little lad to have a treat as well.

"Oh yes! Thank you Mr Carson," he replied, as both the Butler and Mrs Holmes, behind the counter, grinned fondly at the little boy.

"She likes the yellow ones … umm … them!" he said excitedly, spotting the sherbet lemons that his Ma always had in her drawer at Downton.

"Good. We'll have a quarter of those Mrs Holmes please," Mr Carson said, as Charlie bounced up and down beside him. He couldn't wait to surprise his Ma.

"You've still got enough for something else Charlie, what else would you like to buy your Ma?" Mr Carson said.

The Butler was secretly delighted that he could get Mrs Hughes a small gift in this way. There was no appropriate way of him buying her a gift under normal circumstances; other than at Christmas time when all of the staff shared gifts.

"Oh!" Charlie exclaimed, looking around the shop.

His eyes settled on a tin bucket by the door; it was filled with bunches of carnations.

"Can I get her these?" he asked hopefully, walking over to flowers, not sure if he'd have enough for those.

Mr Carson smiled.

"Of course you can, you've got just the right amount for the sherbet lemons and the flowers. You choose a nice bunch for your Ma," Mr Carson said.

Charlie could not have been more excited as he turned around to choose his flowers. His Ma would love these. As he did so, Mr Carson slipped some extra coins across the counter to Mrs Holmes. _Now he had enough._

"And we'll have two bars of chocolate for Charlie and I, thank you Mrs Holmes," Mr Carson added.

"Absolutely Mr Carson," she said.

The shopkeeper didn't think she had ever seen the Butler so happy. He was always very polite and courteous but the young boy brought a more relaxed Mr Carson to the fore.

Charlie skipped happily back to the counter with his chosen flowers. He then handed over his six pences as Mrs Holmes passed him the packet of sweets as well.

"Your Ma is going to love those gifts Charlie. You've chosen well," she said warmly.

He beamed with happiness; he could not wait to give his Ma her gifts.

"Thank you," he replied, as Mr Carson patted him on the back.

######

They had enjoyed their chocolate bars by the Lake and had now arrived back at Downton.

"Ma, Ma!" Charlie called excitedly, as they walked along the downstairs corridor.

The young boy looked up at Mr Carson, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm in here love," she replied from her sitting-room.

Mr Carson had a fleeting moment of panic, as he hoped Mrs Hughes wouldn't think him highly inappropriate for buying her flowers. _Charlie bought her the flowers, not you,_ he reminded himself.

"Ma, I got you a gift!" he cheered, as he bounded into the room.

Mrs Hughes gasped in surprise as Charlie came towards her with a bunch of flowers that were almost bigger than him and a bag of sweets. She kneeled down to greet him.

"Oh my goodness, for me?" she said, genuinely shocked.

"For you. For being the bestest Ma," he smiled ecstatically.

Mrs Hughes felt her heart might explode with pride.

"He chose to spend his money on you rather than buy something for himself," Mr Carson added, smiling warmly at both the young lad and Mrs Hughes.

Charlie looked as proud as punch. Mrs Hughes was exceptionally touched.

"Oh my kind, sweet boy, thank you," she said, tears in her eyes as she cuddled him closely.

"Thank you," she also whispered to the Butler, as she stood upright. Mr Carson's cheeks turned a little pink as he held his hand in the air to wave off her thanks with an abashed grin.

"They are the best gifts I have ever received," she stated honestly, squeezing Charlie's hand. The young boy was giddy with joy at making his Ma so happy.

She bent and kissed Charlie's cheek as she thanked him once again. He attempted to whisper something in her ear. However, it was loud enough for everyone to hear,

"You need to give Mr Carson a kiss too Ma, they were from both of us really."

Both the Butler and Housekeeper stuttered in shock at this suggestion, flustered beyond belief. Mrs Hughes blushed, as Mr Carson cleared his throat anxiously. Charlie grinned at his Ma and the Butler.

"Go on Ma," the young boy added, tugging at her hand to try to pull her closer to Mr Carson.

"Charlie honestly!" she gasped, laughing lightly to try to cover her embarrassment.

She then caught the eye of the Butler. He looked mortified. _There is no need, don't worry,_ he tried to convey. He smiled warmly at the Housekeeper, despite his obvious embarrassment. _He is such a dear man._

Without another thought, Mrs Hughes reached upwards, still holding Charlie's hand in hers, and softly kissed the Butler's cheek.

"Thank you, Mr Carson," she said tenderly.

Mr Carson made a little rumbling noise as she stepped backwards. Mrs Hughes bit her lip as she looked at the astonished smile on the Butler's face.

Charlie giggled at them both. _Ma and Mr Carson_ _are funny_ , he thought happily.

 ** _A/N: A review would be lovely x_**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 ** _A/N: Thank you for your reviews. They are wonderful to receive! This site has stopped showing the most recent reviews but I do still get them by email so please keep sending them! They will appear eventually when the site starts working fully again- this often happens. Thanks again and hope you enjoy this chapter x_**

"That's it … now the last letter," she instructed softly.

Charlie concentrated with everything he had, finishing the final 'e'.

The young boy and the Housekeeper sat side by side at the Servant's table.

"There you are now, you've written your name," Mrs Hughes pronounced, as Charlie beamed excitedly at his Ma.

Charlie had been at the Abbey almost a month now and the new Ma and son had fallen into a routine of spending an hour every afternoon on Charlie's reading and writing. There weren't many other staff around at this time in the afternoon, most were focused on their chores, therefore it was a good time to get some peace and quiet. Charlie would be starting school in a month or two, only a couple of hours per day to start with, and the Housekeeper was determined to give him a head start. They had focused initially on learning the alphabet and the sounds of each letter. Charlie certainly hadn't mastered all of those yet, naturally this would take some time. However, he had been desperate to write his name and so Mrs Hughes has written out his name lightly in pencil, in large letters, and Charlie had traced the lines with his pencil.

"Can we do it again?" he asked, as Mrs Hughes ran her fingers through his hair.

"We certainly can," she said, as she wrote his name another three times for him to copy over.

He was a bright boy who loved to learn, therefore he was very focused on his task. He completed all three in no time.

"Wonderful! Now, let's see if you can copy it without me writing it first …" Mrs Hughes said, as Charlie looked at her anxiously.

"Don't worry, just give it a try. I know you can do it Charlie … just use the ones you've already done and try to copy them," she said supportively.

He concentrated hard, looking at his previous attempts, and managed to reproduce his name. It was a little ragged but for a first attempt it was excellent.

"You did it. My, you are a clever boy," Mrs Hughes cheered, kissing his hair.

"I did it Ma. I did it!" he chimed happily.

Mr Carson watched from the corridor, unnoticed by the pair. A huge grin on his face as Charlie managed to write his own name unaided. The Butler felt exceptionally proud of the little lad who he'd grown more and more fond of each and every day. He didn't even deny it to himself anymore. He cared for the little boy. He cared very much for his mother too but that was an altogether more complicated notion.

The Housekeeper and the little boy did not notice Mr Carson at the window but an observant Cook did, as she watched him from the doorway to the kitchen. She shook her head fondly as she watched the redoubtable Mr Carson smile lovingly at the Housekeeper and young boy. _Give it time_ , she thought. G _ive it time_.

######

"Would you like a sherry?" Mr Carson whispered from the door to her sitting-room, holding the decanter in the air.

"I'd love one," she whispered in return, both mindful not to wake Charlie who was sleeping on her knee.

Mr Carson had been happy to note that their evening ritual of a sweet sherry or a glass of wine together had resumed; it naturally couldn't happen every evening but on most nights, they did manage to spend a few moments together.

"Still not sleeping on the sofa then?" Mr Carson chuckled, nodding to Charlie as he poured their sherry.

"I don't know why I bothered having that moved in here, he only falls asleep on it if I sit next to him and that defeats the purpose of this little one sleeping whilst I am working," she smiled, shaking her head happily.

"Shall we try and get him over there without waking him?" Mr Carson asked, they had managed this once or twice although Charlie seemed to have a sixth sense when he was being moved, even when apparently fast asleep. However, once he was settled in one place, he could sleep for hours.

"Yes let's, he's getting a bit big to be on my knee all night, as lovely as he is … he's a little bit heavy," Mrs Hughes joked warmly, kissing Charlie's forehead softly.

"Right then," Mr Carson whispered conspiratorially, ready for the challenge. Both chuckled.

Mr Carson lifted him from Mrs Hughes arms, holding their breath as Charlie began to stir. Mrs Hughes clenched her teeth willing him to stay asleep, as the Butler gently carried him across the room. He seemed to settle. She held Charlie's head as Mr Carson lowered him to the sofa. Just as they thought they were there, he began to stir again.

"Mmm … Ma …" he murmured, scrunching his face, as he rested back against the pillow.

Mr Carson's hands were still trapped underneath him; he didn't dare move them whilst Charlie was stirring.

"Shush now love, you rest and sleep well, shush, that's it, sleep well bonnie lad," she soothed, lulling him back to sleep.

Then she nodded to Mr Carson and they both stepped back ever so slowly, proud of their efforts.

"Who's have thought we'd be doing this a few months ago, eh?" she asked in amusement.

He smiled happily, neither daring to sit down just yet. They both continued to gaze at Charlie.

"You are a wonderful mother," he said fondly, not being able to contain the thought.

Mrs Hughes was stunned. It was so unlike the Butler to make such a personal remark, let alone such a complimentary one.

"I don't know about that …" she stumbled modestly, blushing at his words.

"It's true," he said sincerely, firmly.

Mrs Hughes starred at the Butler but he didn't turn to face her, not yet.

"Thank you, Mr Carson," she breathed, a lump in her throat.

 _And you are a wonderful father to Charlie_ , she thought, but of course she did not say it out loud. _She couldn't._ _What would he think of her?_ _You have no right to think of Mr Carson in that way._

"You are wonderful with him too. He adores you," she said instead. It was utterly true and in that moment she did not care if her words were overly sentimental. She wanted to say them at least once.

"I'm not sure why?" he pondered, turning to face Mrs Hughes at last and looking genuinely dumbfounded that Charlie had grown so attached to him.

Mrs Hughes gazed at the Butler. If anyone else had asked that question she would have thought they were fishing for a compliment and yet she knew this would never be Mr Carson's intention and she could clearly see the uncertainty on his face.

"Because you are a kind and good man. He trusts you Mr Carson and he looks up to you," she said tenderly.

The Butler gazed devotedly at her and she became lost in his eyes, lost for words. _Oh, this will never do_ , she thought after a few seconds.

"Unbelievably, he also seems to think that you are very funny!" she added with a smile, taking the edge off her earlier warm words.

Mr Carson smiled at her teasing and yet his thoughts were headed down a much more serious path. He had been thinking these thoughts for weeks now and struggling internally with what to do about it. He couldn't just blurt out his feelings, he knew that. That would be entirely inappropriate and totally unfair to Mrs Hughes. He needed to fully consider the potential repercussions for any such declaration. Yet, something about this evening was making it increasingly difficult not to say more. _Maybe it was the dimly lit room, the late hour of the evening, the close proximity of the Housekeeper to him, her kind words, her teasing, the sleeping young boy whom they had both settled on the sofa?_ They were only a foot apart now and he felt the ground shaking beneath him.

Mrs Hughes had hoped to lighten the atmosphere with her teasing and yet, as the Butler continued to gaze at her, with a soft smile on his lips and not uttering a word, she became more and more unbalanced.

It had been creeping up on him for weeks, always there and lurking at his shoulder. All those years ago they had talked about whether they had ever considered going another way. At the time, Mr Carson hadn't known what to say and so he had deflected the question back to her. _Sometimes, maybe_ , she had replied. He would never forget it. Well he did know now. It had taken a little boy of just four years old to bring him to his senses. He wanted the other way with Mrs Hughes and Charlie. _There, you have admitted it._ However, he didn't know if it was possible. If he was simply being selfish or foolish or both.

 _Why should Mrs Hughes want me?_ _What right do I have to think I could have her, have this?_ _I have waited all of these years, never once uttering a word to her about my feelings._ _Have I left it too late?_ _Will she think I am only asking her because of Charlie?_ _I would never want her to think that._ _Even if she would consider it, how could it even happen?_ _I am still Butler, she is still Housekeeper. Everything that stopped me before is still present now._

"Mr Carson, is everything alright?" she eventually asked gently, not being able to stand the silence any longer.

Her question threw him. _I can't tell her; what on earth was I thinking?_

"Uh-huh yes, Mrs Hughes. Sorry, I drifted off there for a moment," he said, smiling apologetically.

"Oh don't apologise, happens to me all the time. Umm … shall we have that sherry?" she smiled, trying to get things back to a normal footing.

"Yes, yes of course," he rumbled, sitting down in his normal seat as she passed him his glass.

Mrs Hughes watched as the Butler looked down at his knees, not uttering a word as she sipped her sherry. _What was going on?_ Just five minutes ago they had both been happy as a lark, settling Charlie on the sofa. Yet now, Mr Carson looked lost.

"Mr Carson, are you sure you are alright?" she asked once again, her voice laced with concern.

He looked up into her eyes and found that for once, he couldn't muster a stoic, formal reply.

"Oh, I was just thinking … about what might have been, decisions I have made, opportunities I may have missed," he whispered honestly.

Mrs Hughes gulped; this was so very unlike Mr Carson. _And what does he mean, what might have been?_ _Is he talking about a different career?_ _Or does he mean what he might have had with Alice?_ _Or something else?_ He was being very vague and she could sense that she wasn't going to get any more from him tonight.

"Well whatever you think you may have missed, in my experience it is never too late," she said warmly.

She watched his eyes brighten and she was glad to have offered him some comfort despite not knowing the source of his concern.

"Thank you Mrs Hughes," he returned gladly, hoping with all of his heart that she was right.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Mr Carson walked along the corridor to the Housekeeper's sitting-room for the second time in just five minutes. He took a huge breath, determined to walk inside this time. Just as he was about to knock and go inside, he lost his nerve again and turned to walk away. However, this time, Mrs Hughes came to the door to see what he was up to; she would recognise his footsteps anywhere.

"Mr Carson, can I help you?" she smiled in amusement.

"Oh umm …" he rumbled, turning to face her. He was mortified, knowing she had seen him walking away.

"I thought you were busy and didn't want to interrupt," he said, hoping this little white-lie would be enough to explain his odd behaviour.

"No, no … I am just catching up on some paperwork whilst Charlie draws a picture," she said, smiling at the little boy in her room.

"It's for Mrs Patmore … she really loves my drawings. She puts them on the wall," Charlie added with a giggle.

Mrs Hughes shook her head fondly at Charlie as he focused back on his latest masterpiece. _He is such a little character,_ she thought.

"Oh, I see," Mr Carson managed, smiling anxiously.

Mrs Hughes could sense his unease. She'd never gotten to the bottom of his wistful comments the other evening; she wondered if the same thing was still on his mind. _Hopefully, he might share his worries in time._

"Well then, how can I help you Mr Carson?"

"Oh yes, well …" he began.

 _Just ask her, for heaven's sake._ _What is the worst that could happen?_ _She could say no,_ he thought, his worst fear. _She could be horrified by the suggestion;_ that thought was even worse. _Just ask._

"Well, uh-huh … as you know, the Family are going to stay with the Marlborough's next weekend ... they will stay through until Tuesday in fact," he said rather stiffly.

"Yes," she replied kindly. Her Scottish lilt even noticeable with that short response.

"Well … we obviously have much to do here at the House whilst they are away but I was thinking, we could perhaps give the Staff a day off on Saturday … that is, as long as they complete all of their chores to the expected standard on the other days," he said solemnly, not wanting to sound like he was going soft.

Mrs Hughes beamed at him; he did have a very kind heart under all of that bluster. Charlie continued drawing his picture happily.

"That is a very kind thought Mr Carson and I am sure the staff will appreciate the gesture," she replied, smiling at him.

"Good, good …" he said, his nerve wavering once again.

Then he caught her gaze; the warm smile and sparkling eyes that always so entranced him. _Go on now Charles Carson, you can do this. And this will be a much more subtle approach than declaring your feelings outright._ _Go_ _on!_

"I wondered …" he began, his voice booming across the room.

He hadn't meant to speak so loudly but he'd caught Charlie's attention now, as both the young boy and the Housekeeper stared at him.

"I wondered ... if perhaps I could take you and Charlie out for the day? It's not often we get a day off together and I thought we might visit the seaside," he said, holding his breath.

"The seaside!" Charlie exclaimed, jumping off his seat and dashing across the room to where his Ma and Mr Carson were standing.

"Like with sandcastles and the sea and ice creams?" Charlie continued, his eyes wide in anticipation. He had never been to the seaside. He had heard about it but he had never been.

Mrs Hughes laughed delightedly at Charlie; he looked like he was going to combust with excitement. Mr Carson only managed to nod at the little boy, he was still holding his breath.

Mrs Hughes looked at Mr Carson fondly. She knew how much thought would have gone into that suggestion; he was not a man to make such an invitation lightly. She was overjoyed to be asked out for the day by Mr Carson; he had never done such a thing before. _And what a wonderful thought, the three of us spending the day together at the seaside_ , she reflected, her heart fluttering in her chest. She suddenly realised that she had not answered him, as she gazed at the increasingly anxious Butler. Charlie was bouncing up and down at her side.

"We would love to Mr Carson," she replied tenderly, as Charlie let out a cheer of excitement.

Mr Carson finally breathed out, a big grin on his face as happiness filled his heart.

"Wonderful," he murmured.

######

Mrs Hughes was sitting on top of the covers on Charlie's bed, lying back against the pillow, with the little boy cuddled into her side.

"Can you read one more?" he asked with enthusiasm. He knew that he was pushing his luck but it was worth a try.

"We've already read three! It's time for you to go to sleep my little man," she chuckled, mussing his hair as she rose from the bed.

He giggled and snuggled downwards under his cover, so that he was lying flat on his back.

Charlie enjoyed a story before bedtime. Even though he always had a snooze downstairs whilst the Housekeeper was working, he was often wide awake again once they finally both made it upstairs. Therefore, a couple of fairy tales or a chapter of 'Just William' was always a lovely end to the day and a sure-fire way to send him off to sleep. Tonight, he had chosen a fairy tale; Cinderella. It was one of his favourites as he liked the voices his Ma did for the wicked step-sisters.

Mrs Hughes tucked him in, making sure he was nice and warm and had his teddy bear to snuggle. She then placed a tender kiss to his forehead.

"Night love," she soothed, as she switched off his bedside lamp.

"Night Ma," he replied sweetly, yawning as he did so.

Mrs Hughes crossed the room and got into her own bed, switching off her bedside lamp so that the only light in the room was that from the moon, shining through the small attic window.

"Ma?" he said, as they both lay in the darkness.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling as she wondered if he would ever go straight to sleep.

"In the fairy tales, the tall handsome prince always marries the pretty girl, doesn't he?" he considered.

Mrs Hughes chuckled; he was quite right. Ridiculous as it was, most of the fairy tales did seem to end this way.

"Yes, I suppose he does, why do you ask?" she asked.

"Oh nothing …" he said happily.

Mrs Hughes grinned into her pillow, amused by her son's questions.

"Night then," she added, hoping they were finally going to get some sleep.

What the Housekeeper couldn't see was the joyful little smile that had appeared on Charlie's face as he pondered his next thought.

"Mr Carson's very tall, isn't he?" he whispered.

"He is …" Mrs Hughes responded hesitantly, still unsure where this were headed.

"And you are very pretty," he added, giggling excitedly into his pillow at his deduction.

The Housekeeper's mouth dropped open; surely the little lad wasn't suggesting _…_ _oh my goodness! Honestly!_ She wasn't even sure how to respond to that. _Best ignore it!_ She reasoned.

"Goodnight, my cheeky little monkey," she exhaled warmly, her cheeks tinging pink.

"Night Ma," he cheered, as he drifted off to sleep, thinking sweet thoughts.


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N: I think most of you will have read it now but do make sure you read Chapter 13 - as this chapter won't make any sense otherwise! This site was going a little mad when I posted it and was failing to send out any alerts for the new chapter. I think this still might be an issue but we'll see._**

 ** _I will continue to try to update every other day but I am back at work now and so it is proving a little more difficult! Hope you enjoy this short update to keep the story moving x_**

Chapter 14

"Ma, how many days until we go to the seaside?" he asked again. He had asked this at least twice a day over the last week, as he counted down the days to their trip to the coast.

Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore laughed at the little lad who was sitting at the servant's table practicing his writing.

"Two more days," His Ma answered.

"Two more days," he repeatedly happily.

The Housekeeper and Cook continued to chat as Charlie continued with his writing.

"You are welcome to come with us you know," Mrs Hughes said genuinely to Mrs Patmore.

The Cook had become a wonderful friend to Mrs Hughes and she had been an absolute godsend helping with Charlie; the Housekeeper would never want her to feel left out.

"Thank you for that but I've already planned a nice day looking around the shops in Ripon. And besides, it should be just the three of you," she said, smiling warmly at her friend.

Mrs Patmore knew not to say anymore, the Housekeeper and the Butler were very private and dignified people. However, over the years, she had watched from a distance as a wisp of something between the pair grew into something much stronger. They had never acted on it of course, but she sensed that a certain little boy was finally prompting the Butler to take a few tentative steps forward.

"Don't be silly … there's no such thing as the three of us," Mrs Hughes whispered softly, looking down at her toes and blushing at the thought.

She was trying so hard not to make this more than it was; she did not want to presume that this outing meant anything more than a friend suggesting a day out to another friend. She was sure that Mr Carson had simply grown fond of Charlie, as it was impossible not to, and therefore he thought it would be nice to spend a bit more time with the lad.

"Well I happen to think that the three of you are lovely together but don't mind me," Mrs Patmore responded tenderly, giving Mrs Hughes' arm a little squeeze as she headed back to the kitchen.

As Mrs Hughes watched her friend walk away, her heart beat a little more quickly in her chest.

######

"Mr Carson! Mr Carson! Look what Mrs Patmore got me!" Charlie exclaimed breathlessly, as he ran into the Butler's pantry with the bucket and spade in his hand.

However, the little boy's wide grin suddenly disappeared when he spotted Lady Mary standing opposite the Butler. Charlie suddenly panicked that he might be in trouble, either with Mr Carson or his Ma or both. His Ma had told him not to run in the downstairs corridors and she had said that he mustn't interrupt Mr Carson when he was working and yet he had just run straight into Mr Carson's room and now the lady from upstairs was staring at him.

"Sorry," he said sweetly, an anxious look on his face.

"Charlie, what have I told you about interrupting Mr Carson …" Mrs Hughes began, a little out of breath as she finally caught up with her son. As soon as Charlie had finished hugging the Cook to thank her for his gift, he had darted off without a second thought to show the Butler his bucket and spade.

Mrs Hughes now entered the pantry and spotted Lady Mary.

"Oh I do beg your pardon Milady, I am sorry for the interruption, Charlie was just a little excited," Mrs Hughes said, feeling embarrassed that they had both now intruded.

Lady Mary had the good grace to smile.

The Housekeeper then noticed Charlie's worried little face.

"It's alright now, no harm done. Just don't go running into Mr Carson's pantry in future, alright?" she whispered lovingly, tapping his nose gently as she pulled a face, pretending to be annoyed.

Charlie giggled and nodded eagerly at his Ma, visibly relaxing. She put her arm around his shoulders and stroked his back.

"And say good morning to Lady Mary, remember … just like we practised," she whispered warmly.

Charlie didn't come into contact with the Family very often but Mrs Hughes was determined that he would respond politely whenever he did meet them.

"Oh!" Charlie gasped, he had forgotten about that. He turned to face Lady Mary.

"Good morning Mi … lady," he said adorably, remembering the word with only a slight pause.

His Ma beamed at him and he felt very proud. He turned to Mr Carson who nodded in praise, giving the lad a little wink.

Lady Mary was taken aback by the way Mr Carson smiled at Charlie. He was obviously quite charmed by the little boy and she hadn't expected that.

"Good morning, Charlie. It is very nice to finally meet you. I take it you are going to the beach?" she asked.

Mrs Hughes smiled at the younger woman. _She can be kind sometimes,_ she thought.

He nodded excitedly.

"Tomorrow! Mr Carson is taking me and Ma," he announced, thrilled to be able to tell someone else about their outing. He had already told all of the people downstairs.

Lady Mary looked surprised at this information. Mrs Hughes unconsciously bit her lip, as she fidgeted nervously with the seam of her dress. Mr Carson coughed loudly to clear his throat, feeling somewhat unbalanced. He could feel Lady Mary's eyes on him.

"Is he now?" she breathed, surprised yet pleased.

Mr Carson swallowed his discomfort, pushing his shoulders back. _You've got nothing to feel uncomfortable about,_ he told himself, yet he still felt somewhat unbalanced that Lady Mary knew about their outing. However, he then caught the Charlie's enthusiastic and hopeful gaze.

"I am and I am very much looking forward to it," he said steadily, smiling at Charlie and then at Mrs Hughes.

The Housekeeper was delighted; she had feared Mr Carson would retreat into his Butler persona in front of Lady Mary but he had not. Again, she felt the happiness and hope that had been stirring inside her for weeks.

"Right then, let's leave Mr Carson and Lady Mary in peace," Mrs Hughes said, gathering herself and guiding Charlie towards the door.

"But Ma, I haven't shown Mr Carson my bucket and spade," he said innocently.

"You can show him later," she laughed, shaking her head fondly at her son.

"See you later!" Charlie shouted back into the room.

Mrs Hughes shut the door behind them with a polite nod to the Butler and Lady Mary, thinking that her life would never ever be dull with little Charlie in tow.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"It's coming!" Charlie exclaimed, spotting the train in the distance.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson both chuckled at the little lad as they stood on the platform; his enthusiasm was infectious.

The Butler then caught the gaze of the Housekeeper, smiling softly at her _. She really does look lovely_ , he thought. He had always thought Mrs Hughes was a beautiful woman but the nature of her job meant that she rarely wore anything other than black or dark navy clothes. Yet today, she was wearing a pretty light blue blouse, with a decorative pattern around the collar which he could see, even with her scarf, showed a little more of her neckline than usual. She accompanied this with a grey skirt and navy wide-brimmed hat with flowers at one side. It was early spring and yet the weather was mild, allowing her to accompany her outfit with her lightweight navy coat and a blue scarf covered in small white flowers. She looked smart and well-presented as always but there was something a little more relaxed about the Housekeeper's attire and the splashes of colour and some pastel shades made her look pretty as a picture.

Mr Carson, of course, wore his three-piece suit, although he had chosen his lighter grey suit for this occasion. He had also worn a paler grey shirt and matching tie and this was completed with his overcoat and bowler hat. Charlie wore the sweetest little outfit that Mrs Baxter had only just completed within the last week. It was a matching jacket, waistcoat and shorts in navy blue tweed with a buckled belt around the jacket. He also wore a navy blue cloth cap. He had a short sleeved white shirt underneath his jacket with a blue tie and Mrs Hughes were certain that as soon as his feet hit the sand, the jacket and tie would be discarded. This is certainly what she intended; he looked very much the smart little gentleman but he would be comfortable and 'free' once they reached the seaside.

Mrs Hughes had brought a small basket with some lemonade, biscuits and apples for the journey, as well as a blanket and a small towel for the beach. Mrs Patmore had offered to make them a full picnic but Mr Carson had insisted that he wanted to treat them all to fish and chips and ice cream at the seaside, much to Charlie's delight. The Housekeeper had added a flask of tea in case they should need warming up and Mrs Patmore had snuck in a small hip flask of whisky, hoping that a small nip of liquor might help to loosen up her two friends. A spare pair of shorts for Charlie were also included, in case he got wet, and his bucket and spade hung from the side of the basket.

As the train arrived on the platform they were all set for their little adventure, and looked like a respectable little family of three enjoying a day out.

As the train stopped and some passengers descended from the carriages, Mrs Hughes gripped Charlie's hand a little tighter, not wanting him to get lost in the temporary throng of people. Mr Carson spotted an empty compartment and signalled towards it, as the three walked a few steps along the platform to the door.

"Right, let's get you in first Charlie," Mr Carson said, picking the young boy up and lifting him inside.

Charlie bounced up and down as he stood in the doorway to the compartment. As Mrs Hughes went to place her foot on the first step, she felt the Butler take the basket from her hand. He placed it on the ground and gently held Mrs Hughes' arm, helping her up the steps and inside the compartment. She blushed a little at this unexpected yet gentlemanly touch. He then passed her the basket and stepped inside himself, closing the door behind him. He was pleased to note that they had the compartment to themselves at least until the next stop, as there was no-one else on the platform.

"Where do we sit?" Charlie asked, racing around the small compartment. There were four seats on either side.

"Well for now, until someone else gets on, we can sit wherever we like! Would you like to sit by the window love, so you can see the countryside as we pass by?" Mrs Hughes asked.

"Yes, please Ma!" he replied excitedly.

Mr Carson helped Charlie up and onto the seat. The Butler presumed quite rightly that Mrs Hughes would sit beside the young boy and so he sat opposite them, also by the window. As much as he would have liked to sit beside Mrs Hughes, he thought this may seem a little too familiar.

"Oh, I've changed my mind! I want to sit between you and Mr Carson!" Charlie exclaimed after a few seconds.

Mrs Hughes shook her head fondly at her little boy, looking across to Mr Carson to gauge his reaction. He had only just settled into his seat across from them and she wasn't sure if he would want to move. She was pleased to see that he was grinning broadly.

"Right you are then … you move across to my seat," she said to Charlie, as she stood up.

She helped Charlie slide along to where she had briefly been sitting.

"Would you like the window seat Mr Carson?" she asked kindly, turning to face him as he rose from his seat.

"No, you take the window seat Mrs Hughes …. I'll be quite happy here …" he said, pointing to the seat at Charlie's other side.

Charlie clapped his hands in excitement. Just at that moment, the train moved off from the station and the unexpected lurch it made as it pulled away, unbalanced Mrs Hughes and she had to take a step forward to avoid falling. She bumped straight into Mr Carson.

"Oh, I am sorry," she gasped, one hand against his waistcoat.

"Not at all …" he said warmly.

He had unconsciously reached out to steady her, one hand held her elbow and the other rested lightly at her waist. They gazed at each other, fumbling for further words. They were broken from their thoughts by the cheerful giggles of the little boy behind them.

"You look like you are gonna dance!" he exclaimed, holding his tummy as he giggled happily.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson laughed at this, a little flustered as they took their seats.

"Right then, all settled," Mrs Hughes said, as she took Charlie's little hand in hers.

"All settled," the little boy chimed happily.

"And off to the seaside!" Mr Carson cheered excitedly, wiggling his impressive eyebrows at Charlie.

He loved the young boy's enthusiasm for every little thing and he wanted to encourage this.

The young lad shrieked elatedly and Mrs Hughes laughed fondly as she watched the two. She wasn't sure who was more excited; the Butler or Charlie. _No-one else would quite believe the transformation in the Butler when he is near the young boy,_ she thought. The staff knew that the Mr Carson had a soft spot for the little lad but he saved his really loving behaviour for when it was just the three of them.

"To paddle in the sea and build sandcastles!" little Charlie added, a huge smile on his face as he gazed up at Mr Carson.

"And to eat fish and chips and ice cream!" the Butler added.

Charlie was becoming more and more excited, enjoying this little game.

"And to ride on a donkey!" Charlie said, bursting with delight.

His Ma had only told him about this treat yesterday. Apparently, at Bridlington beach, you could ride up and down the sands on a donkey. _A real donkey!_ He couldn't quite believe it.

"Oh yes, let's not forget the donkey ride!" Mr Carson declared, beaming at the little boy.

"Are you going to ride the donkey too Mr Carson?" Mrs Hughes teased.

Charlie giggled loudly at that.

"Ma, of course he's not. He's too big for a donkey!" Charlie explained, thinking that his Ma was very funny.

Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes grinned happily as they watched Charlie dissolve into further giggles. Mrs Hughes rubbed her thumb back and forth on his soft skin as she continued to hold his hand.

As Charlie began to calm, he reached out and took hold of Mr Carson's fingers with his free hand. Mrs Hughes felt her heart flutter once more as the little boy held both of their hands so naturally.

"It's gonna be the best day," Charlie whispered, resting back in his seat, still holding hands with them both.

"Yes, it is," Mrs Hughes agreed, lowering her head to place a gentle kiss to his hair.

As she sat upright, she caught Mr Carson's gaze once more and the two adults shared a tender smile.

 ** _A/N: We'll continue with their adventure to the beach in the next chapter. I am not deliberately trying to drag this out; I just want us to see every aspect of their day and so I hope you are enjoying this. I would appreciate a little review if you have time. It helps me to keep updating! x_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Thank you so much for all of your reviews. They are a real treat to read. Hope you enjoy this chapter x**_

Chapter 16

"Ooh … it feels funny!" Charlie cried, as his toes touched the soft sand.

He jumped straight back onto the blanket.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson tried to stem their laughter but it was impossible; Charlie had stepped on the sand twice now, and then off again just as swiftly. His little face scrunched up in surprise and alarm at how the sand felt between his toes.

They had arrived at Bridlington about an hour ago and after a short stroll from the railway station to the seafront, they had found themselves a lovely spot on the beach. Mr Carson had helped Charlie to remove his socks and shoes, as well as removing his own. He'd also taken off the boy's jacket and tie to make him more comfortable. This was a welcome distraction as he studiously avoided looking towards Mrs Hughes who was discreetly removing her stockings as she sat on the blanket beside him. They were all looking forward to a paddle in the sea. However, they could not have predicted Charlie's reaction to the sand.

"Let's try it again, flower. It feels lovely once you get used to it," Mrs Hughes smiled, biting her lip to stop herself laughing.

Charlie held her hand and tentatively touched the sand again with one of his toes.

"That's it … now just put your foot down and you'll be fine," Mr Carson said encouragingly.

Charlie looked up at the Butler; buoyed by his confidence. He placed his foot on the sand and gently brought his other foot to rest beside it.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson smiled warmly at him and as Charlie realised all was well, he beamed at them excitedly; feeling proud that he had done it.

"There you are, now wiggle your toes and feel how nice it is!" Mrs Hughes encouraged.

He did just that and before they knew it he was giggling happily and jumping up and down on the spot.

"Right then, shall we go for a paddle?" Mr Carson asked, and both Mrs Hughes and Charlie happily agreed.

######

They were having the most wonderful day; the Butler could not think of a time when he'd been happier. They'd paddled together in the water, something he hadn't done himself since he was a lad. Charlie had held both of their hands, jumping the small waves as they came towards him. Mr Carson didn't think he'd ever forget the glorious sound of Charlie's excited giggles and Mrs Hughes' enchanting laughter as they all splashed about in the shallow waters. Every so often he had caught the Housekeeper's gaze and the beautiful smile he'd received was worth more than anything in the world.

Mr Carson and Charlie were now collecting fish and chips for lunch from the stall on the promenade. The Butler had insisted that Mrs Hughes should rest and enjoy the spring sunshine, whilst they collected lunch. Charlie had been thrilled to go with him.

"I can help you Mr Carson," Charlie enthused, as the Butler passed him one of the wrapped parcels of fish and chips.

"Oh well thank you, that's a great help," Mr Carson said kindly, smiling at the boy.

Charlie looked proud.

They both set off across the beach, towards where Mrs Hughes was sitting.

"Ma is pretty isn't she?" Charlie said, out of nowhere.

Mr Carson almost choked, coughing anxiously, as he heard these words.

Charlie continued to walk on innocently.

Mr Carson knew he had to reply.

"Uh-hum … I don't think it is gentlemanly to say …" he flustered.

"I'm not a gentleman … I am a little boy!" he replied, thinking Mr Carson was silly sometimes.

Mr Carson couldn't help but laugh at that, his deep rumble echoing across the beach.

"I meant me," the Butler explained.

"Oh!" Charlie giggled, almost dropping the fish and chips.

The two walked on a little further.

"She is though, isn't she?" Charlie said cheekily, his eyes shining at Mr Carson.

How could Mr Carson resist this little fella?

"She is," the Butler whispered, tapping his nose and winking; hoping Charlie would understand that this was their secret.

Charlie laughed joyfully.

######

Mrs Hughes spotted Charlie and Mr Carson walking towards her; she could see them chatting and smiling at each other; her heart warmed at the sight. It had been the most wonderful day so far. The way Mr Carson cared for the little boy was lovely to see. He was a natural with the young lad and so loving in the way he acted with him. As they'd stood in the waves, the three holding hands, Mrs Hughes had had to catch her breath as the same thought kept overwhelming her. _This feels right. It feels like we are a family._ She had given up trying to pretend. This is what she wanted; deep down it was what she had always wanted. _A family with Mr Carson._ Yet she'd thought she was too late. _You may still be too late. You've no idea how he feels about you; him loving Charlie isn't enough,_ she reminded herself. Yet, she was growing more hopeful. Maybe it was the sea air but something was changing. She could feel it.

"We got fish and chips Ma. And some more lemonade," he explained happily.

"Well, what a treat … Mr Carson is spoiling us," she smiled tenderly, as the two men – one big, one small - sat down beside her.

"I know! And we are having ice cream later. Mr Carson says I can have the strawberry sauce on top," he exclaimed, not quite believing this perfect day.

"Well, aren't you a lucky little monkey then?" she smiled, as she helped him unwrap his fish and chips.

Charlie giggled; he liked it when his Ma called him funny names.

Mr Carson smiled happily as well; feeling relaxed and content.

"Oh, and Mr Carson thinks you are pretty. He told me," Charlie declared honestly.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson stared speechlessly at each other. Words lost on them. Mr Carson couldn't think of any explanation that would make things better and so he decided gazing helplessly at the Housekeeper was the best approach.

"Let's eat our fish and chips!" Mrs Hughes said eventually, sharing an embarrassed but amused smile with the Butler.

######

The beach wasn't too busy at this time of year and so they had plenty of space to themselves. After lunch, the three had built several sandcastles and Charlie had taken a ride on one of the donkeys. He was walked up and down the sands as Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes watched from the side. He waved to them both excitedly as he enjoyed his ride. The Butler and Housekeeper were now sitting on the blanket again, feeling quite exhausted; the four-year-old had run them ragged. Charlie, still full of energy, was building a new sandcastle, sitting on the sand just a few feet in front of them.

Mrs Hughes was sitting upright with her knees bent, only her naked feet showing from under her skirt. Mr Carson sat close to her on the blanket, his legs outstretched and his arms resting behind him, propping himself up.

"You've utterly spoiled us today Mr Carson, thank you," she smiled, turning to him.

"It was entirely my pleasure Mrs Hughes. Truly," he said sincerely, returning her smile.

"I can't imagine he's ever had a day like this," she reflected, as they both looked at Charlie.

The young boy was singing a tune to himself, as he patted the sand into shape.

"No. I suppose he'll not have had many treats in his life," Mr Carson responded sensitively.

"No. But he was loved, that much I do know," she added warmly.

"Does he talk about Ethel much?" he asked.

"Yes, quite regularly. Often at night, when he is about to go to bed … he'll mention something that she liked or a tell me a little memory that comes to mind. And we have her photo beside his bed and I always remind him that she'll be looking down from heaven and so proud of him. I want him to talk about her, I would hate for him to forget her … she was his real mother after all," Mrs Hughes explained tenderly.

The Housekeeper meant that sentiment entirely; she would always want Ethel to play a big part in Charlie's life.

"You are every bit a real mother to him," Mr Carson said with certainty.

Mrs Hughes gazed at him, shaking her head modestly.

"You are," he said, both getting lost in their thoughts for a few seconds.

"Do you ever wish … umm … do you ever wish you had become a mother earlier?" he asked, gulping, as his nerves started to build.

Mrs Hughes took a steadying breath.

"Are you suggesting I am old Mr Carson?" she teased, avoiding answering for a moment.

He shook his head fondly, laughing lightly. She hadn't answered him.

"Yes, sometimes I do. Yes. For one thing, it would have been nice to be younger and to have more energy. This little thing wears me out," she joshed, nodding towards a happily oblivious Charlie.

Mr Carson chuckled.

"He'd wear anyone out, no matter what age. And you run an Abbey whilst looking after him," Mr Carson added.

"Yes, that's true … I have no regrets Mr Carson, not really. I think I would have enjoyed being a mother when I was younger but I feel blessed to have been given this chance now … even if it's not quite the way I had imagined," she smiled, feeling a little self-conscious.

"How did you imagine it?" he asked, almost a whisper.

His heart was fluttering in his chest but he was eager to know.

Mrs Hughes paused, a little flustered to be admitting such things. _Mr Carson is certainly full of questions today,_ she reflected.

"Well … I suppose I imagined … having a husband, a family, a home. I didn't quite imagine bringing up a child on my own, at my age, whilst still working as a Housekeeper," she laughed lightly, trying to lighten the tone a little.

"You don't have to be on your own …" he breathed, the words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them.

She gazed at him in surprise. _Had she heard him correctly?_

He looked into her lovely blue eyes and he knew that he needed to say more.

"What I mean to say is …"

"Ma, look! I've made Downy-ton," Charlie cheered, jumping up and scrambling to his Ma's side.

He plonked himself on the blanket beside her, cuddling into her side and pointing at the heap of sand in excitement. Mrs Hughes look a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"Well that's beautiful. It looks just like Downton!" she gasped, kissing Charlie's hair and wrapping her arm around him.

She didn't know what to think. _Surely, he didn't mean … no, I must have heard him incorrectly._

"Do you like it Mr Carson?" Charlie asked.

"It's the best sandcastle I have ever seen," he declared generously, offering a broad grin to the little boy despite feeling decidedly unbalanced. Charlie was thrilled that they liked his sandcastle.

 _Oh, dear god, you can't leave it like that. Say something man!_ Yet he knew he couldn't, not with Charlie sitting beside them. The moment had passed.

Charlie snuggled closer to his Ma, a blissful smile on his lips.

"Thank you, Mr Carson … it's been the best day of me whole life," the young boy said sweetly.

Despite the confusing, last few moments, his comment melted the hearts of both the Butler and Housekeeper.

"Mine too," Mr Carson said meaningfully, staring directly at Mrs Hughes.

The Housekeeper caught his gaze and dared to hope once more.


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Thank you for your reviews- I appreciate them so much. This site has been a little chaotic lately. It doesn't always show reviews straight away (although I get them by email and they appear eventually). And alerts for new chapters haven't been working for about a week now. Therefore, keep checking every other day until the alerts start working again and I'll do my very best to keep updating. Thanks again for your amazing support for this little fic x_**

Chapter 17

"Wait until I see Mrs Patmore. I have so much to tell her …" Charlie gabbled, as the three walked to the train station.

He held both of their hands and skipped along between them.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson smiled in amusement; he was such a delightful young boy and a little chatterbox. He was still full of energy but the Housekeeper guessed that the movement of the train would finally send him off to sleep.

"And what will you tell her?" Mrs Hughes asked, encouraging him.

"I'll tell her about the donkey, and the sandcastles, and the waves … ooh and Mr Carson getting his trousers wet … that was the funniest bit," he laughed happily, looking up to Mr Carson to confirm he wasn't angry with his last comment.

Mr Carson made a funny face towards Charlie, making him giggle further. Mrs Hughes smiled at the pair of them.

The Housekeeper and Butler were quite relieved to be distracted by Charlie's happy mutterings. Following their interrupted conversation on the beach, they both had a torrent of thoughts swirling through their mind. _You don't have to be on your own,_ that is what he said, Mrs Hughes thought for the thousandth time. _What did he mean? Was he simply offering to help take care of Charlie? He obviously cared for the boy. Or was he offering something more?_ She couldn't stop thinking about his words.

Mr Carson had his own internal panic. _You've left things so vague. What on earth were you thinking? It would have been better to say nothing rather than leaving things the way they are. She deserves better than this. She deserves a declaration, not some fumbling comment on a beach._ He felt so unbalanced. He still wasn't sure how Mrs Hughes felt about him. He knew she cared for him as a friend but he wasn't sure if she felt more. Yet one thing he was sure of, and the day they had spent together at the beach had only confirmed this. _I want to spend my life with Mrs Hughes and Charlie._ Even thinking this, made tears form in his eyes.

######

They climbed into the compartment, Mr Carson helping Mrs Hughes and Charlie board the train again. The train was busier on the return journey and sitting on the seats across from them were an elderly couple. Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes said 'good evening' and the couple returned their greeting.

"Even …ern …ing," Charlie copied sweetly, almost getting this greeting right.

Mrs Hughes was so proud of her son; he was such a friendly, polite young man.

"Why, good evening young man," the gentleman returned, as the older woman nodded warmly in response, offering a kind smile towards the young boy.

Mr Carson placed the basket on the shelf above the seats. Charlie quickly took off his cap; which he hated to wear. He handed it to his Ma, who smiled, shaking her head.

"Right then, where are we sitting?" Mr Carson asked, looking to the little lad.

He knew that they were probably spoiling Charlie, letting him make all of the decisions, but he felt that the little lad deserved a little spoiling.

"Ooh … I know … you sit there … and Ma, you sit there," he said happily, grasping their hands and guiding his Ma to the window seat and Mr Carson to the seat beside her.

"You don't want to go in the middle?" Mrs Hughes asked in surprise, as she and Mr Carson settled themselves side by side. The relatively small seats meant that the Butler and Housekeeper were sitting very closely, their sides touching.

"Nope, I'm going to sit here," Charlie said cheerfully, as he climbed up and onto Mr Carson's knee.

His small legs dangled between Mr Carson's, as he lent his side against the Butler's chest, facing his Ma. His head was tucked under Mr Carson's chin.

"Charlie … you can't just …" Mrs Hughes began, as she watched her son make himself comfortable against Mr Carson's chest.

It affected her greatly to see the two together like this but she wasn't sure how Mr Carson would feel about Charlie being so affectionate. It was one thing for Charlie to hold the Butler's hand but entirely another thing for Charlie to snuggle up against him.

"It's alright Mrs Hughes," Mr Carson rumbled warmly, smiling at her and wrapping one arm around Charlie, who had already closed his eyes as the train began to move.

Mrs Hughes breath caught in her throat as she watched Mr Carson smile down at Charlie and then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the Butler softly kissed the young boy's hair. Charlie made a small contented murmur, as he began to drift off to sleep.

Mr Carson's looked across to Mrs Hughes; he could see the emotion in her eyes as she looked at him and the boy. He also felt overcome in this moment, with Charlie resting cosily against his chest and the Housekeeper beside him, looking at him so fondly. He wanted so much to tell her; to tell her how much she meant to him. But they weren't alone; it was impossible.

Instead, he tried to say everything he couldn't say with his gaze; looking at her tenderly and hoping she would understand. She always did seem to know him better than he knew himself and he hoped that now was no exception. He then dared to do something he had never done, hoping that she wouldn't think him too forward. He gently took hold of her hand as it rested on the seat beside them, tracing his thumb across her soft skin.

She actually gasped, as he took her hand in his. A small, unconscious breath as she looked down at his warm, large hand resting lightly over hers. She gazed upwards into his handsome brown eyes, smiling at the Butler and hopeful that she had understood his meaning. The elderly couple sat across from them, Charlie slept in Mr Carson's lap. Therefore, she wrapped her little finger around his and they both sat silently and contently side by side, allowing the rhythm of the train to lull them as they made their way back home.

######

The three rested blissfully together, cocooned in a contented haze, until they reached Ripon. The elderly couple rose from their seats to finally depart the train.

"You make a lovely family," the elderly woman said, before wishing them a good evening and stepping from the compartment.

Mr Carson was touched beyond belief by this comment, even though he knew that he didn't deserve this recognition as part of Mrs Hughes and Charlie's family just yet. A lump formed in his throat as the emotion of the day caught up with him.

"Thank you," Mrs Hughes responded warmly to the woman.

This simple response affected Mr Carson even more. She did not deny they were a family, did not blush, did not even flicker at this comment. He hoped that this tender 'thank you' echoed everything he himself was feeling in this moment.

The elderly couple closed the door behind them and the train began to move; the familiar and comforting rhythm beginning again. Mr Carson continued to hold her hand. Charlie still slept in his lap. _This was it. It was now or never. He needed to tell Mrs Hughes before this wonderful spell was broken. But where to start? What to say? How could he explain everything he'd been dreaming? The future he wanted with this beautiful woman and child?_ And then he realised, he only really needed to say one thing.

He lightly squeezed her hand and she slowly turned her face to him. Her expression one of hope and nervous anticipation. He took a long, quivering breath.

"I love you," he said solemnly, with the utmost sincerity.

Mrs Hughes felt her eyes prickle with tears, as she beamed tenderly at the wonderful, dear man before her.

She raised her free hand to cup his face, lovingly caressing his cheek with her thumb. She then moved her face slowly to meet his, placing the most gentle, soft kiss to his lips. The chasteness of the kiss in no way diminished the devotion behind it.

As their lips parted, joyful smiles adorned their faces, as they both laughed lightly through their tears. Mr Carson lifted his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her, bringing her closer to his side, determined never to let her go. He now cossetted Charlie in one arm and his love in the other. Mrs Hughes lowered her head to kiss the forehead of a still sleeping Charlie, before resting lightly against the Butler's chest. Mr Carson rested his cheek on her hair and breathed in this heavenly moment. _A family at last._


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter. A little review would be lovely if you have time! x_**

Chapter 18

"Wake up love, we are almost home," Mrs Hughes said, gently stroking Charlie's face to rouse him.

As Mr Carson looked at Mrs Hughes, so tenderly speaking to Charlie who still sat on his lap, he did not think he had ever felt happier.

It had been ten minutes since Mr Carson had told Mrs Hughes that he loved her and in the short distance between Ripon and Downton, the two had been content to sit together in silence, Mrs Hughes leaning against his side and his arms holding both the Housekeeper and Charlie closely. They both knew that they needed to talk; to talk about the future and what would happen next, and yet with Charlie likely to wake up at any moment, they both understood that this was not the time. The boy had had enough changes in his life over the last few weeks and this development was not something they could spring on him. Besides, at present, neither of them quite knew what they would tell him. The events of the last few hours had been momentous for the Housekeeper and Butler and both were very happy just to enjoy the moment, knowing that they could talk later.

Charlie woke up as Mrs Hughes caressed his cheek; his little sleepy expression quite adorable. He took a few seconds to realise where he was and when he did, he smiled happily through his dozy haze; pleased to have both his Ma and Mr Carson so close. He reached forward to hug his Ma. Mrs Hughes wrapped him snugly in her arms, cuddling him tightly.

"Right then my little monkey, let's get your coat and cap on, we'll be at the station soon," she said warmly, as Charlie nodded cheerfully and they all began to gather their things.

######

The sun was setting as they left the station; the air cool on this crisp spring evening. The fresh air had fully woken Charlie and he skipped along between the adults, holding both of their hands. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson repeatedly caught each other's gaze, smiling soppily with Mr Carson beaming smugly and Mrs Hughes's eyes twinkling back at him. Both knew that something rather magical had begun that evening and whilst the road ahead was unknown and there were a thousand questions in their minds, they felt a peace that neither had felt in a very long time.

They were just cutting across the Village Green when they heard a voice, both instantly recognising it as the Dowager.

"Carson, Mrs Hughes, good evening," she called, as she was about to step into her car outside Mrs Crawley's house.

The older woman's interest was more than piqued to have spotted the Heads of Staff and the small boy together; she also noted that the little boy was holding both of their hands. She realised this was Ethel's son, the boy that Mrs Hughes was now looking after. On hearing her greeting, Mrs Crawley also walked from her doorway to join the others.

Mrs Hughes took a deep breath, smiling politely as they made their way across to where the Dowager stood. The Housekeeper could see how Mr Carson had tensed and this made her inexplicably nervous. Charlie on the other hand, continued to skip happily between them.

"Good evening Milady, Mrs Crawley," Mr Carson rumbled formally.

"Good evening," Mrs Hughes, added, as Mrs Crawley also added her greetings.

"Good Even … ern … ing," Charlie chimed, as Mrs Hughes smiled at him proudly. He still held tight to both of their hands.

"Good evening Charlie, it is lovely to see you again," Mrs Crawley added kindly.

Charlie smiled at the nice lady; he remembered her from Church.

The Dowager nodded sternly but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"You have been out for the day I see," the Dowager enquired, feeling intrigued.

Charlie was about to tell them about the beach but Mr Carson began to speak before he had the chance.

"We have Milady. As you know, Lord and Lady Grantham are visiting the Marlborough's and so I allowed the staff to have a day off … of course, they will more than make up for this tomorrow," he reported seriously.

"Indeed Carson. And where have you all been today?" she asked.

"Mr Carson took me and Ma to the beach. He treated us all day long. He bought us fish and chips and ice-cream," Charlie jumped in excitedly, thrilled to be able to tell someone about their day.

Mr Carson coughed to clear his throat; he felt uncomfortable for the Dowager to be hearing this. He knew that it sounded very familiar and he would not want the Grand Dame to think that anything untoward was going on. Mrs Hughes and he were Heads of Staff at the Abbey after all. He would not want the Dowager thinking any less of them and he did not want Mrs Hughes reputation sullied in any way. There was a proper way of doing things and he wanted to ensure that he did things right by Mrs Hughes and by Charlie. He didn't want anyone casting aspersions before he had formally asked Mrs Hughes what he wanted so much to ask her. Also, he wasn't used to speaking about such personal matters with the Dowager and he felt decidedly uncomfortable; she had a knowing looking on her face and it worried him and made him unbalanced.

"Uh-huh, it wasn't quite like that. I had planned to get some sea air today and Mrs Hughes had had a similar idea and therefore, it seemed sensible to accompany each other … as colleagues," he stated stiffly, letting go of Charlie's hand and tapping the boy dispassionately on the back.

Even as the words left his mouth he felt ridiculous. _What was he doing? And why had he added that last part about colleagues?_ There was no need to state that; everyone knew they were colleagues. It only succeeded in making him sound like he was protesting too much.

Mrs Hughes felt her stomach drop as she listened to his bluster. She was hurt that he had played down their lovely day, making it sound like some sort of work outing. She understood that Mr Carson could hardly admit what had transpired between them; she was a very private woman and, of course, this is the last thing she would have wanted. However, she was furious that he had been so dismissive of Charlie's enthusiasm. She gave Charlie's hand a little squeeze, smiling down at him and with her free hand she tapped his nose lovingly. He grinned up at her sweetly. She was glad to see that whilst he looked a little puzzled by Mr Carson's response, he still seemed as happy as ever.

Charlie wondered fleetingly why Mr Carson was talking funny but he then decided to carry on with his explanation of the day.

"We had the best day. We made sandcastles and I went on a donkey and Mr Carson got wet," he giggled, smiling brightly.

"That sounds like a wonderful day," Mrs Crawley added.

The Dowager smiled wryly to hear about this day; Mr Carson playing at the seaside with the small boy and Mrs Hughes. That wasn't something she would have expected and she could see he was uncomfortable discussing this.

"It was, wasn't it Mr Carson?" Charlie asked openly, smiling devotedly up at the Butler.

Mrs Hughes took a steadying breath, willing Mr Carson to answer kindly.

"Yes, yes … uh-hum … now, we should be getting back to the Abbey," he said abruptly.

He knew he had sounded harsh but the alternative was to allow his true feelings to show, to admit that it had been the most perfect day, and he didn't dare show this. He knew that the Dowager and Mrs Crawley would immediately see through his façade, if he allowed even a tiny bit of his enjoyment to show.

The Butler caught the gaze of Mrs Hughes; she looked both upset and fuming. He then caught the eyes of the little boy standing next to her; who also looked wounded. His heart shattered. He had reacted poorly and hurt the two people that meant more to him than anyone.

"It _was_ a wonderful day Charlie. We had so much fun at the seaside and you made the best sandcastles. He even made Downton Abbey," she said proudly to the two other women. They both smiled on hearing this.

"And we'll have to go back to the seaside again soon … you and I," Mrs Hughes finished, hoping to boost the little boy's spirits. Charlie's face immediately brightened.

Mr Carson felt wretched and he couldn't fail to notice the use of 'you and I'. He was not included in that promise and he couldn't blame her. He had royally messed things up and he knew it. He only hoped that Mrs Hughes would understand that he simply hadn't wanted anything to seem improper.

"Can we really Ma?" Charlie asked excitedly, as Mrs Hughes hugged him to her side.

"Of course we can, and I might even go on a donkey next time!" she joked, making Charlie shriek with laughter.

Mrs Hughes thanked heaven's above that Charlie seemed to have forgotten Mr Carson's dismissive response.

"Right then, now say good night to Her Ladyship and Mrs Crawley, as we better be getting you home to bed," she said warmly, politely nodding to the Ladies and studiously ignoring the man beside her.

Mr Carson stood sheepishly, feeling like a boorish fool.

"Night," Charlie said cutely, waving to them as Mrs Hughes and he began to walk back across the Village Green, towards the path to the Abbey.

"Good night Milady, Mrs Crawley," Mr Carson said formally, as he turned to follow the Housekeeper and the little boy.

"Come on Mr Carson, catch up!" Charlie cheered happily, as he walked with his Ma.

The Butler strode to catch up with them but he noted with a heavy heart that the Housekeeper would not even look at him as she chatted happily to Charlie all of the way back to Downton.


	19. Chapter 19

**_A/N: Thank you for your reviews. As many of you mentioned, it would be unrealistic if Mr Carson didn't mess things up once in a while! It makes it all the sweeter when he gets things right x_**

Chapter 19

Mrs Hughes was eager to get Charlie up to bed but he was determined to tell Mrs Patmore about their day. He also wanted to give the Cook the toffee apple he had bought for her. Mrs Patmore thought the world of the little boy and she happily 'oohed and aahed' at his descriptions of all of the things they had done. Charlie became more and more excited as he talked to the Cook about every aspect of their day.

Mrs Patmore could tell, however, that something wasn't quite right with Mrs Hughes. She was smiling happily as she listened to Charlie but her smile did not quite reach her eyes.

"Right then, now you've seen Mrs Patmore, it's an early night for both of us … it's been a lovely day but a very long one," Mrs Hughes added with a smile.

"Ok Ma, I'll just say goodnight to Mr Carson," he said, heading off towards the Butler's pantry before she could stop him.

Mrs Hughes followed swiftly after him.

As the Butler saw the little boy in the doorway, his heart leapt. He'd been stewing in his pantry for the last half hour, feeling miserable. He needed to apologise to Mrs Hughes and Charlie, and to explain himself, albeit in very different ways.

"Night Mr Carson. Thank you for taking us to the beach … it was my best day ever," Charlie said sweetly, walking towards the centre of the room.

Mr Carson got up from his desk and walked to meet Charlie, crouching down so that he was at the boy's level.

"Thank _you_ Charlie and, of course, thank you to your Ma. I know I was a bit grumpy when we were in the Village earlier. I think all of that paddling and sandcastles must have worn me out! But please know that it was my best day too," he smiled genuinely.

Charlie grinned happily, easily forgiving Mr Carson, as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the Butler's neck. Mr Carson felt choked, as he wound his arms around Charlie, hugging him to his chest. He rested his cheek against Charlie's soft hair as he hugged him.

Mrs Hughes swallowed her emotion. It moved her greatly to see the affection between the two but she wasn't ready to forgive Mr Carson quite so easily and she would need more of an explanation than he was 'a bit grumpy'.

Charlie walked back to his Ma and took hold of her hand.

"Right then, up we go … bath and then bed," she cheered, as Charlie nodded happily.

"Umm … Mrs Hughes … would it be possible for me to have a chat with you before you go to bed," Mr Carson asked anxiously, knowing that she was quite rightly still very annoyed with him.

"Not tonight Mr Carson, I really do need to get this little monkey to bed. We can speak tomorrow," she said cordially, not wanting Charlie to pick up on the tension between them.

"Yes, yes of course. Good night then Mrs Hughes," Mr Carson said, looking at her with doleful eyes.

This in itself infuriated her; she was determined not to be swayed by him looking so sad. She always forgave him and she knew that he hated it when they were in disagreement but then it was him that continued to act poorly at times.

"Good night Mr Carson," she said, with the hint of a sigh.

######

Charlie was settled in bed, lightly snoring. Mrs Hughes was trying to rest but sleep alluded her. Her mind was awash with thoughts. They had had the most marvellous day. It had felt like they were a proper family and until they'd reached the Village on the way home, Mr Carson had been warm and affectionate towards both of them. _He told me he loved me._ The thought still amazed and thrilled her. This wonderful sentiment had been left hanging in the air. She had hoped that, when they got back to the Abbey, they would talk about what this meant for them but that had been impossible due to his blustering in front of the Dowager and Mrs Crawley.

He had been very dismissive of their lovely day at the beach; he almost seemed embarrassed that he'd spent the day with them, trying to play it down as nothing but an outing between colleagues. _Is he embarrassed and uncomfortable with his feelings for me and Charlie? If so, why on earth did he tell me that he loved me? And why did he suggest a day at the beach?_ Mrs Hughes felt as confused as ever but one thing she did know, if he couldn't reconcile his Butler persona with sharing a life with her and Charlie, they had no future as anything more than colleagues. Her heart broke at this thought. Six weeks ago, she would never have believed she would be a mother, let alone that she would be considering the possibility of bringing up a son with Mr Carson. She wanted this more than anything but he would have to change, as she had done over the last few weeks, if they had a chance of making this work.

######

Mr Carson lay on his back, wide awake despite the early hour of the morning. _You are an idiot Charles Carson, an idiot!_ he reprimanded himself for the umpteenth time. The worst thing was, he had been doing so well. He had loved every second of his time at the beach; it had brought feelings to the surface that he had never experienced before. He'd felt like they were a family. He had felt … _like a father and husband_. He knew that, as yet, he had no claim to these titles but this is how he'd felt. It had been wonderful. He had been so determined to share his feelings with Mrs Hughes and he had surprised himself, almost as much as he had surprised Mrs Hughes, when his 'I love you' tumbled forth so naturally. They had shared the most loving, brief kiss. He'd thought his heart might explode. And then he'd ruined it. He had blustered and panicked in front of the Dowager and Mrs Crawley. He hadn't known how to react in front of them; he was the Butler of Downton Abbey and he'd only ever engaged with them both in the most formal way. Yet, now Charlie was holding his hand and chatting excitedly about their day. He did not want the two women to get the wrong idea; there was a proper order of doing things and he did not want them to think anything untoward was going on. He had panicked about propriety at the expense of the feelings of the two most important people in his life. He felt sick to the pit of his stomach at this thought. He groaned, holding his hands over his face. _Morning cannot come soon enough._

######

Mr Carson leapt from his seat as he heard the familiar jangle of keys in the corridor. He paced to the door just in time to intercept Mrs Hughes and Charlie coming along the corridor for breakfast.

"Good morning," he smiled anxiously, as both Mrs Hughes and Charlie wished him good morning too.

"Erm … Mrs Hughes, I wondered if you and I could have a meeting to discuss some matters, perhaps Charlie could have breakfast with Mrs Patmore?" he suggested hopefully.

"I'm not sure Mr Carson, I think Mrs Patmore may be too busy at this time in the morning," she said levelly.

"Umm … I took the liberty of asking her … and she said she'd be happy to look after Charlie," he dared, hoping he hadn't overstepped.

He needed to speak to Mrs Hughes. The Housekeeper shook her head lightly at this presumption and at the infuriating man before her. _A man you love_ , she reminded herself. This thought earned him a warmer glare than perhaps he deserved.

"Go on Ma, he wants to say sorry," Charlie whispered, thinking that adults were silly sometimes.

Both Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson gasped in surprise at this comment; Charlie was too perceptive for his own good sometimes.

"Very well," she replied.

######

He closed the door to the pantry. They stood a couple of feet apart, facing each other.

He took a long, deep breath.

"Mrs Hughes, I managed to ruin what had been a perfect day yesterday and I wanted to apologise," he said solemnly.

"It was entirely my fault and I … I know that I hurt you and Charlie and that is the very last thing I would ever want to do," he said, tears filling his eyes.

The Housekeeper also became quite overwhelmed as she watched him. She discreetly wiped a stray tear with her handkerchief.

"Mrs Hughes, I love you and I love Charlie and I want us to be a family," he said truthfully, his voice wavering with emotion.

These were the words she had been longing to hear and as she looked at him, he was so sincere and worried. She knew this was difficult for him and she knew that he had been extraordinarily courageous yesterday. Mr Carson was not used to showing his emotions or declaring his feelings or allowing himself to behave affectionately towards others. Yet, he had done all of these things and more; making her and Charlie feel cherished. Yes, he'd had a wobble but in her more rational moments, she understood that there was no way he could have declared his intentions to the Dowager and Mrs Crawley when they hadn't even yet discussed these intentions between themselves. However, as she felt herself softening towards him, she reminded herself that he still could have avoided being so dismissive and harsh.

However, as she gazed at him and observed the unshed tears pooling in his eyes, his expression so forlorn, she could not stay angry at him for a second longer. The great big bear of a man was in bits and she knew that she needed to soothe him, to help guide him.

"I love you, you old curmudgeon, and Charlie loves you, but we can't have you blustering and dismissing your feelings for us, Charlie needs you to love him fully and openly," she said, trying to make him understand.

As upset as he was; the Butler stood at least a foot taller on hearing the words _'I love you'._ Mrs Hughes had never said this before.

"I wish for nothing less than to love Charlie and to love you ... fully and openly. I panicked I suppose. I didn't want them to think there was anything improper. We'd had such a lovely day and I thought they would see straight through me. And you and I hadn't discussed matters. I would only want them to know once things are settled," he explained.

"It felt like you were embarrassed to have spent the day with us …" she offered gently. He had hurt her and he needed to know.

"No! Oh, my goodness. I have never been prouder than when I had you and Charlie at my side. I'm just not used to all of this," he said desperately, hoping she would understand.

Mrs Hughes couldn't help but laugh lightly at this admission. She reached out and took his hand in hers. Truth be told, neither of them were used to 'all of this'. It was new to both of them and the Butler had taken a giant leap yesterday when he'd shared his feelings with her.

"It's new for both of us. Who would ever have thought this could happen? But we can learn together. I am still getting used to being a mother and now …" she smiled tenderly.

"Now?" he replied, with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky grin.

"Well I believe that's up to you Mr Carson," she teased.

"Quite right. Mrs Hughes, do you think you might join me for a walk in the gardens this evening?"

"I think I might Mr Carson, I think I might," she exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling.


	20. Chapter 20

**_A/N: Apologies this is a day late. It's getting more and more difficult to update every other day with my work but I'll continue to do my very best to achieve this. Hope you enjoy this chapter x_**

Chapter 20

"Ma, are you and Mr Carson friends again?" Charlie asked, as he sat on the sofa in her sitting-room completing a jigsaw.

Mrs Hughes turned to the little boy. _He misses nothing._ She came across to sit with him, tickling him under the chin. He giggled.

"Mr Carson and I are always friends. We just get a bit grumpy with each other sometimes, that's all," she smiled.

The last thing she wanted was for Charlie to worry about them not being friends. Certainly, they were the best of friends at present, and her heartbeat quickened every time she thought about their planned walk that evening, but Mrs Hughes was certain that they would have more spats in the future and she did not want these to impact on Charlie in any way.

He nodded happily at this explanation.

"Good because Mr Carson really likes you," he said cheerfully.

"Does he now?" she asked with a grin.

"Yep. I can tell," he said mischievously, beaming at his Ma. She was intrigued.

"And how can this little tinker tell that?" she asked.

Charlie laughed. _Despite everything he's been through, he is such a happy child_ , she thought.

"Because he has a funny smile when he looks at you. Like this," he said, before demonstrating a soppy, gigantic grin.

Charlie burst into giggles, as Mrs Hughes laughed heartily too. He clambered across to sit on his Ma's lap, giving her a warm cuddle. She hugged him tightly in reply.

"I love you my little tinker," she said, as she placed repeated small kisses to the side of his face. He shrieked with joy.

######

"So, do you think he might ask you tonight?" Mrs Patmore whispered.

The Housekeeper's eyes shot open.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to feign innocence.

"You know exactly what I mean. Since when does our Mr Carson ask you for an evening stroll? And you've been walking on air since you made up with him this morning, don't think I haven't noticed. Charlie told me that he was saying sorry for being grumpy. And the three of you spent the day at the seaside together yesterday. It is all heading to one thing and you know it!" the Cook said, proud of her deduction.

She had watched Mrs Hughes's face turn more and more pink as she'd continued and so now she knew it to be true.

Mrs Hughes gave up more easily than she would normally, desperate to talk about recent events with her friend.

"Come to my sitting-room," Mrs Hughes whispered. They had been standing at one side of the kitchen, as Daisy and a couple of kitchen maids worked at the other. Charlie sat at Mrs Patmore's desk drawing the Cook another picture for her collection.

"Daisy, could you keep an eye on Charlie for five minutes?" Mrs Hughes asked.

The Assistant Cook nodded cheerfully.

Mrs Patmore scuttled after Mrs Hughes, excited that she was finally about to find out what was going on. The Housekeeper closed the door behind them. The two stood looking at each other for a second or two.

"He told me that he loves me," Mrs Hughes said, her eyes become watery.

"Well, it's about time!" Mrs Patmore chuckled.

Mrs Hughes laughed lightly too.

"And you told him that you feel the same I hope?" the Cook asked, knowing the answer.

"I did. He says that he loves Charlie too and wants us to be a family," Mrs Hughes added, the tears threatening to cascade down her cheeks at any moment.

"Oh, how marvellous! I'm that pleased for you Mrs Hughes. And for Charlie. He worships Mr Carson," Mrs Patmore cheered sincerely.

"I know," she said, before the tears did start to fall.

"Oh dear me, I am so sorry," Mrs Hughes said, furiously wiping her eyes. She was used to keeping her emotions in check.

"Hey, there now. Nothing to be sorry for. You've had a lot to take in recently. My, your life has changed," Mrs Patmore soothed, squeezing her friend's arm.

"I never thought Mrs Patmore, I never thought I would have a child, let alone a husband. Well, certainly not Mr Carson as a husband. I thought we'd probably always remain as friends, perhaps companions of sorts … and I'd accepted that. But Charlie has changed everything," she explained, through her tears.

"He's a blessing alright," Mrs Patmore smiled, genuinely thrilled for her friend.

"He is indeed," Mrs Hughes beamed.

######

"So, Mr Carson and I are going to go for a little walk and …"

"Ooh, can I come?" Charlie interrupted excitedly.

Mrs Patmore chuckled from the doorway to the Housekeeper's sitting-room.

"And who would teach me the little ducks song then? And help me to eat these chocolate peppermints?" Mrs Patmore asked, waving the tray in the air.

Charlie's eyes lit up and he soon lost interest in the walk. Mrs Patmore plonked herself on the sofa with the treats, as well as two glasses of milk, and the little boy jumped up to sit beside her.

"Be off with you, don't keep your Prince Charming waiting!" she teased, as Mrs Hughes rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Mr Carson isn't a Prince!" Charlie giggled, slapping the seat at such a funny idea.

"He is to your Ma," the Cook whispered, loud enough for the Housekeeper to hear. Charlie laughed happily once more.

"I will see you two mischief-makers later," Mrs Hughes joshed, as she walked out of the door to more giggles from the two.

######

"May I hold your hand Mrs Hughes?" he asked, nerves suddenly overtaking him as they stood outside the Servant's entrance, the cool night air swirling around them.

"You may Mr Carson," she smiled tenderly, also feeling a little nervous.

Somehow, once their hands were entwined, they both calmed and, without speaking, walked contentedly towards the Rose Garden.

Mr Carson felt quite overwhelmed as they neared the spot he had chosen in his mind. He had walked these gardens for over thirty years and yet he had never dared dream that one day he would be in this very place, proposing to the woman he loved. It was a perfect, clear night; the moon lighting up the sky and guiding them as they walked. They reached the wrought iron gates and Mr Carson pushed them open, leading Mrs Hughes to the small fountain in the centre of the secluded garden. The roses were just beginning to bloom and their wonderful scent filled the air.

Neither had spoken since they began their evening stroll to the garden. There was a stillness and assuredness to them both now, belying their earlier nerves; as if they were winding their way towards something that was always meant to be. As Mr Carson stopped walking and turned to face Mrs Hughes, she rewarded him with the most beautiful smile; encouraging and loving in equal measure. He took both of her hands in his as he took an enormous breath, grinning as he readied himself to finally take this momentous step.

Mrs Hughes smiled brightly in reply; in no doubt about what was going to happen next but no less touched and delighted and thrilled than if it had come completely out of the blue.

"Mrs Hughes … Elsie … I love you truly, deeply and with the utmost devotion. I have loved you for a very long time and yet only recently, I dared hope that I hadn't left it too late to capture your heart. I would be the happiest and luckiest of men if you would allow me to be your most faithful husband and I would be honoured to protect, love and care for you and Charlie, for the rest of my days on this earth," he expressed earnestly.

Both were overcome, tears falling freely, as he paused his words and lowered himself to the ground to kneel before her.

"Elsie Hughes, will you marry me?"

"Charles Carson, my love, of course I'll marry you. I thought you'd never ask!" she exclaimed, her eyes iridescent with tears and joy.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"May I? Just one more," he grinned, feeling like a man thirty years younger.

Mrs Hughes giggled, feeling light-headed and silly; very unlike her.

He kissed her sweetly once more, as they stood outside the Servant's entrance. His kisses were full of passion and yet still very restrained; his hands always above her waistline as he held her gently in his arms. She held his face in both hands, pulling herself upwards on tiptoes and feeling very daring. _They were engaged to be married._ She could not quite believe it.

As they broke apart from their lovely kiss, they rested their foreheads against each other, their mixed sighs of contentment filling the air.

"I cannot wait to tell him," she breathed. She could just imagine Charlie's excited little face.

"I know. But we are still agreed? We'll speak to Lord Grantham first, tomorrow," he rumbled in the darkness, his hand gently stroking her waist as he kissed her hair.

"Oh yes. It will have to be that way. Once Charlie knows, there is no chance he'll be able to keep it a secret. The whole House will know! The whole of Downton in fact!" she exclaimed, as the Butler chuckled.

"You are sure he'll be happy. He won't think I am intruding on your new family?" Mr Carson asked, a hint of doubt creeping in.

Mrs Hughes leant backwards, her hands still resting at his chest.

"Mr Carson, I have told you. He is going to be delighted. He loves you," she smiled softly.

Mr Carson gulped at that; his emotions rising to the surface once more. The Housekeeper tenderly stroked his cheek.

"It's like it was meant to be … he even has your name," she said, her eyes now filling with tears.

At that, Mr Carson wrapped his fiancée up in the warmest hug.

######

"Ma!" he said excitedly, jumping off the settee and racing across the room to hug her. She lifted him off the ground, giving him a big hug.

"Hello sweetheart, have you had a nice time with Mrs Patmore?" she asked, smiling at the Cook over the top of his head as she held him tightly.

"Yes. We ate chocolates and had milk and she taught me a new song about sheep. She made the sheep noises. It was funny!" he exclaimed, as his Ma lowered him to the ground.

"Well that does sound like a lovely evening," Mrs Hughes smiled.

"And did you have a lovely evening Mrs Hughes?" the Cook asked, looking at her friend meaningfully.

They both knew exactly what she meant.

"I did Mrs Patmore. It was truly lovely and it all worked out as I had hoped. I will tell you all about it later," she said, smiling warmly at the Cook.

Mrs Patmore stood up from her seat.

"I am thrilled that you had a lovely walk Mrs Hughes, thrilled," she said, squeezing her arm and finding herself tearing up a little as she observed her friend's elated smile.

They shared a wonderful moment. Both knowing exactly what it meant for Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson to have finally reached this place. The Housekeeper then realised she needed to change the subject; she did not want to give anything away to Charlie just yet.

"Thank you, Mrs Patmore and thank you for looking after Charlie. And what do you say to Mrs Patmore little man?" Mrs Hughes prompted him warmly.

"Thank you, Mrs Patmore," Charlie said sweetly, reaching up to give the Cook a cuddle too.

"My pleasure, flower. I will see you both later," she said, ruffling his hair before leaving the room with a happy heart.

"Right then, how about we make ourselves a cocoa and take it up to bed? We can get comfy in our night clothes and then I'll read you a couple of stories, all snuggly and warm," she suggested to Charlie.

The Family returned tomorrow, a little earlier than planned, and she wanted to make the most of their final opportunity for an early night.

"Yes! Yes!" he said, as he danced around the room enthusiastically.

"Right then, pop your toys back in the box before we go up," she said, as he began to do just that.

"Shall I ask Mr Carson if he'd like to hear the story too?" he asked innocently, as the final toys went into the box.

Mrs Hughes spluttered with laughter.

"Mr Carson can hear the story another time but let's at least go and say goodnight to him, hmm?" she smiled.

"Yep!" he grinned, as he raced out of the room towards the Butler's pantry.

######

"Are you nervous?" he asked, as they stood outside the Library.

"A little. I can't imagine how they will react. They will not be expecting this," she replied, biting her lip.

"No, I don't suppose they will be," he grinned. He was so happy that he couldn't really find it in himself to feel too nervous.

"Well, no use dallying. Come on!" she said, taking the lead.

He smiled at her as she walked forward confidently; his beautiful, strong and intelligent Mrs Hughes.

"Carson, Mrs Hughes. I must say you have us intrigued. I hope it's not bad news?" Lord Grantham offered, as the Butler and Housekeeper walked into the room, standing before him and his wife.

"Not bad news Milord, not at all," Mr Carson replied solemnly.

"So, you are not leaving us Mrs Hughes?" Lady Grantham added, this worrying thought had been playing on her mind all morning.

She had watched from the peripheries as Mrs Hughes had adapted to caring for a small boy. She had seen them at Church together and on occasion at the House; Mrs Hughes was a natural and they always looked every bit like a mother and son. Lady Grantham had wondered if Mrs Hughes had made the decision to leave Downton; after all, the last time the four of them were in this room together, the Housekeeper was named as Charlie's guardian.

"Oh, no Milady … that is, I hope to be able to stay," she said kindly.

Her response confused Her Ladyship and His Lordship. The puzzlement on their faces was clear. Mr Carson decided it was time.

"Milord, Milady … I have asked Mrs Hughes for her hand in marriage and I am delighted to say that she has accepted," he rumbled, only now starting to feel a tad nervous.

They had agreed that they wanted to stay on at the Abbey if it was possible. However, it was unusual enough for a Butler or Housekeeper to be married, let alone to be married and have a child. Mr Carson wondered if this would be one step too far for Lord Grantham. The man, not unlike himself, was often not very comfortable with change.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Lady Grantham gasped.

Mrs Hughes smiled at the other woman; she had a very kind heart.

Lord Grantham stood speechless, trying to process what he had just heard.

"Robert, isn't that wonderful?" she said, hoping to prompt her husband.

"Oh yes, yes. Please excuse me, I am just a little surprised that is all. My congratulations to you both, sincerely. My word Carson, I didn't think you had it in you!" he said fondly, yet rather inappropriately.

This comment made Mrs Hughes and Lady Grantham smile; the Butler raised his eyebrows a little but couldn't hide his grin.

"And you will both bring up Charlie?" Lady Grantham smiled tenderly; warmed by this thought.

"We will Milady. We plan to be a family," Mrs Hughes said, taking a breath to steady herself. This still seemed like a dream to her.

Mr Carson swallowed his emotions again. _This will never do,_ he thought and yet every time he thought of them as a 'family', it overwhelmed him.

"And you would like to remain in your roles? Here at the House?" Lord Grantham confirmed.

"We would Milord. If you would allow it, of course," Mr Carson responded formally; the gravity of this decision bringing him back to his senses.

"Oh, of course we will allow it. My word. This House could not run without you both. And, as expected, Mrs Hughes has coped admirably since Charlie arrived. Robert?" Lady Grantham said, motioning for her husband to agree with her words.

There was a slight pause when everyone else in the room held their breath.

"Of course. Times are changing Carson and it seems our _wives_ will ensure we change with it," he declared.

"Thank you, Milord," Mr Carson nodded.

"Thank you," Mrs Hughes added, gazing up to her fiancé with a loving and relieved smile.

######

They planned to tell the staff at lunchtime, which was in exactly fifteen minutes. Therefore, they deemed it safe to now tell Charlie. Mr Carson tapped on the sitting-room door at the agreed time.

"Come in Mr Carson," Mrs Hughes smiled, beckoning him in.

He entered and closed the door behind him. Mrs Hughes stood from her desk to stand beside him in the centre of the room. Charlie was currently sitting on the settee, playing with his toys.

"Charlie, come here for a second love," she whispered.

Charlie smiled, jumping up from the settee and reaching out to hold his Ma's outstretched hand.

"Are we going for a walk? To feed the ducks?" he asked, thinking that was probably why the two adults were standing in the room.

Mrs Hughes smiled. Mr Carson still felt inexplicably nervous. He hoped Charlie would be happy with their news.

"Maybe later sweetheart, first of all, Mr Carson and I have something to tell you," she smiled.

She suddenly noticed a hint of panic cross the little boy's face.

"Oh no, it's nothing to worry about. This is good news. The best news in fact," she quickly added, as Charlie's smile reappeared.

Both the Butler and Housekeeper looked at each other; relieved that this little misunderstanding was speedily sorted. They had not foreseen that he may think it was bad news _. Of course, he would think that_ , Mrs Hughes realised, as she thought about what the boy had been through.

"Let's sit back down on the settee," she said, as the three walked across to sit down.

Charlie sat between the two adults.

"You know how much I love you Charlie? I love you so much and nothing will ever change that," she began, as Charlie nodded happily.

He knew that his Ma loved him very much. She always told him this. Just like his Mam had done.

"… and, well, I also love Mr Carson," she said honestly.

Charlie giggled, yet he was unsurprised by this news.

"I know you do and he loves you," he proclaimed, grinning at the adults at either side of him.

The Butler and Housekeeper laughed. Mrs Hughes kissed the little boy's hair and held his hand.

"I do love your Ma very much Charlie. And I love you," Mr Carson added, as he put his arm around Charlie's shoulders.

Charlie beamed from ear to ear. The young boy felt cherished; his Ma holding his hand on one side and Mr Carson's arm around his shoulders from the other side. He looked back and forth between the two, happy as a lark.

"And Mr Carson and I are going to get married," Mrs Hughes said softly.

Charlie's eyes widened.

"Married? Like in the fairy tales?" he gasped.

Mr Carson chuckled at that.

"Just like that," Mrs Hughes smiled lovingly, tickling Charlie's side.

Charlie shrieked happily and then suddenly stopped laughing as a thought occurred to him. He looked first to his Ma and then to Mr Carson. The excitement rising within him.

"Does that mean you'll be my Pa?" he asked, his little hopeful eyes looking up at Mr Carson.

Mrs Hughes inhaled sharply, trying to stop her tears from falling. Mr Carson felt like his heart had stopped, actually stopped, as he looked down at the wonderful young boy on the settee beside him. He had never dared dream that Charlie would want to call him that.

"I would be honoured to be your Pa Charlie, if you are sure that's alright?" he managed, his voice wavering with emotion, as Mrs Hughes reached across and squeezed Mr Carson's arm.

"Yes, yes please!" the young boy exclaimed, clambering upwards to wrap his arms around Mr Carson's neck.

"Well that is wonderful!" Mr Carson rumbled, as he held the little boy to his chest, cuddling him closely.

The Butler's tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he held the little boy. Mrs Hughes rubbed Charlie's back and softly wiped the Butler's tears away with her thumb. Mr Carson wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in closer. Charlie sat backwards, still kneeling on the Butler's knee and beyond happy and excited.

He touched his Ma's face, his other arm still holding the Butler's neck. Mrs Hughes turned her face and placed a quick kiss to the palm of his hand, her eyes sparkling at the beautiful boy who was now her son. _Our son,_ she thought contentedly.

"My Ma and Pa," Charlie declared adorably.

"And our little monkey," Mrs Hughes teased, as the three laughed blissfully.

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update. If you have time, a little review would be lovely x_**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson had informed the staff of their news at lunchtime; the staff had reacted with various degrees of shock and delight. Mr Barrow had seemed likely to faint; incredulous that the two Heads of Staff had become betrothed without him having an inkling of this. He liked to think he knew everything that went on at the Abbey and they had well and truly surprised him. As expected, Miss Baxter and Anna were delighted for the pair, as was Daisy who'd had a soppy grin on her face ever since. Mr Molesley still seemed bewildered by this announcement and there had been a range of hushed conversations and whispers from the hall boys and maids all afternoon. The overwhelming feeling was one of genuine happiness for the Butler and Housekeeper and this had been helped in no small part when Charlie announced to the entire Servant's Hall that Mr Carson was going to be his Pa.

Mrs Hughes smiled gloriously at this memory, as she walked hand in hand to the Village with her little bundle of joy beside her.

"When will you and Mr Carson get married?" Charlie asked enthusiastically, smiling up at his Ma.

"I'm not sure. We haven't decided that yet but soon, very soon," she replied.

Charlie beamed at her.

"And then I'll get to call him Pa," he exclaimed.

"You will," she offered warmly, stroking his hair.

"Will Mr Carson sleep in our room? He could have my bed and I could share with you," he offered innocently.

Mrs Hughes suddenly developed a tickly cough.

"Uh-huh … we'll work that out in good time, sweetheart. All in good time," she soothed, feeling a little flushed.

######

"Would you mind if I leave this little monkey with you for an hour Mr Carson? I want to check the guest rooms upstairs for this evening's guests," Mrs Hughes asked.

Charlie stood in front of his Ma, her arm draped across his chest, holding him lovingly to her.

She had actually already asked Mr Carson, a little earlier, if he could take Charlie for an hour. She wanted to give him warning as she wouldn't want to impose on him, they weren't married yet after all. However, she knew that Charlie would love to spend some time with him and she had been thrilled to note that Mr Carson had agreed just as enthusiastically.

"I would love it Mrs Hughes," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at Charlie, as the boy giggled and ran across to the Butler.

Mr Carson rose from his seat and swooped the little lad in the air, to Charlie's great delight.

"Well I can see you are both going to have a lovely time," she said, smiling at them.

"We are. Bye Ma," Charlie chirped.

As Mrs Hughes shook her head fondly at him.

"Yes, bye Ma," Mr Carson joshed, winking at the Housekeeper.

Mrs Hughes smiled happily, walking across and kissing them both on the cheek before she left them to it.

######

"Do it again, do it again!" Charlie cried.

Mr Carson's gruff laughter resounded around the Butler's pantry once more.

"One more time then," he agreed, as he picked up the three apples and began to juggle them again.

Charlie bounced up and down in excitement, his eyes wide open in amazement at this wonderful feat. He gasped as he watched the apples being thrown higher and higher in the air.

As the Butler included a fourth apple, he squealed with joy, clapping his hands. Mr Carson finished with a final flourish, managing to catch and balance the four apples in one of his large hands.

Charlie clapped again.

"Can you teach me to do that?" he asked, as Mr Carson lifted him up and onto his knee.

"Of course I can," Mr Carson answered proudly; his arm holding Charlie securely.

"What else can you teach me?" he asked, eyes alight with admiration for the Butler.

"Umm … let's see … I can teach you to play cricket and I can teach you how to fish … I haven't done that for a long time but maybe that is something we could do together?" Mr Carson mused, as Charlie nodded eagerly.

"What else?" he asked keenly, as Mr Carson chuckled.

"I can teach you about History and about Politics and …" Mr Carson paused, smiling to himself as he realised that Charlie would have no idea what these things were and yet the lovely young boy was still nodding along happily.

 _More than anything I hope that I can teach you to be a good man, a kind and generous man. I hope that I can set a good example for you and be the father you deserve,_ Mr Carson thought wistfully.

"… and most importantly I can teach you how to eat a big dish of apple pie!" he joked instead, as Charlie giggled hysterically.

"Ma says that for someone will such a small tummy I can fit a lot in!" Charlie declared happily.

"She says the same to me!" Mr Carson joked, as Charlie laughed loudly, lying back against the Butler's chest, his head tucked under Mr Carson's chin.

"I can't wait until you are my Pa," Charlie breathed.

Mr Carson wrapped both of his arms around the boy, cuddling him to his chest and resting his cheek against Charlie's hair.

"I can't wait either," the Butler replied softly.

######

"They said we could have a cottage?" Mrs Hughes gasped, trying not to wake Charlie who was settled on the sofa in her sitting-room.

"Yes. His Lordship said that Her Ladyship was going to speak to you about the details … but he said that he thought we would want a cottage when we were married," the Butler explained.

Mrs Hughes felt shocked; she wasn't quite sure what alterations they would need to make to their lives once they were married but she'd felt sure that His Lordship would insist they remained at the House. _A cottage,_ it was more than she had dared dream. She became lost in her thoughts of the three of them being a proper family in their own home.

"Don't you want us to live in a cottage?" Mr Carson asked, feeling befuddled; her shock and lack of words confusing him.

He had thought Mrs Hughes would like the idea. However, he often got things wrong where the Housekeeper was concerned and so he panicked slightly, thinking that he had done it again. He knew that as her husband he would probably make just as many faux pas as he did as her colleague and friend.

"Oh! Oh yes. I want it very much. I just didn't think this was possible. Our own home," she smiled, her eyes shining with tears.

Her smile instantly soothed him, as he took both of her hands in his. He reasoned that he must truly be the luckiest man in the world. _A beautiful, intelligent and kind wife and a precious, wonderful son._

"Our own home," he replied, lowering his head to give the Housekeeper a gentle, loving kiss.

 ** _A/N: A couple of people requested a juggling Mr Carson and so I hope you liked it. I do try and build in as many requests as possible but it sometimes takes some time! Thank you for your continued, wonderful support and reviews. They keep me writing x_**


	23. Chapter 23

**_A/N: Well I've spent the entire day at Heathrow and managed to travel absolutely nowhere but at least I wrote a chapter while I waited! Hope you enjoy x_**

Chapter 23

They were walking to Church, Charlie holding hands with his Ma and Mr Carson. Every few steps, the Butler and Housekeeper swung him in the air between them and he squealed with delight.

"If you listen carefully in Church today, you'll hear the Vicar say my name and Mr Carson's name," Mrs Hughes said enthusiastically to the little boy.

Charlie's jaw dropped open.

"The Vicar will say Ma?" he asked.

Mr Carson chuckled happily, as Mrs Hughes continued to explain.

"No. He won't say Ma because only you get to call me by that special name …" she began, as Charlie beamed from ear to ear.

"He'll say Elsie Hughes, my first name is Elsie."

"You are called Elsie?" Charlie asked, amazed by this fact.

"I am and you'll never guess what Mr Carson's first name is," Mrs Hughes smiled.

"What?" he asked excitedly, more intrigued than ever.

Charlie looked back and forth between Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson. The Butler smiled lovingly at Mrs Hughes and the young boy.

"It's Charlie!" Mrs Hughes triumphed, as the young boy giggled loudly.

"I am Charlie, not Mr Carson!" he exclaimed, laughing cheerfully at his Ma's joke.

"You are both Charlie," Mrs Hughes added, waiting to see his reaction.

Suddenly, Charlie's mouth opened even wider, amazement in his eyes.

"We have the same name?" the little boy asked.

"We do," Mr Carson rumbled happily.

"We are both called Charlie. Two Charlies!" little Charlie gasped, absolutely delighted by this fact.

"Exactly. I have a little Charlie and a big Charlie," Mrs Hughes stated, looking teasingly at Mr Carson.

Charlie shrieked with laughter, murmuring an amused _'Big Charlie'_ under his breath.

"You do indeed Mrs Hughes," Mr Carson joked in response, picking Charlie up off the ground and holding him in the air, the little boy's legs wrapped around his waist.

"Elsie. You should call Ma Elsie!" Charlie giggled, resting his head on Mr Carson's shoulder.

"He should, shouldn't he!" Mrs Hughes added mischievously.

Mr Carson quirked an eyebrow at her.

She and Mr Carson had already had this discussion and her lovely yet 'set in his ways' Butler had insisted that they shouldn't call each other by their first names whilst at the House. She had understood his reasoning but a little teasing wouldn't hurt.

"Are you really called Charlie?" the little boy asked, not quite believing this.

"I am. Although in Church, they'll call me Charles," Mr Carson explained.

"How many names do you have?" the boy gasped, scrunching his face.

The Butler and Housekeeper laughed happily at his perplexed expression.

Mrs Hughes looked at both of her Charlies, thinking that she couldn't wait until they all had one name: _Carson._

######

Mrs Hughes was very aware of all of the pairs of eyes on the couple and the little boy as they entered the Church. News of their engagement had spread throughout the Village over the last week. The engagement of the Butler and Housekeeper of Downton Abbey would have been newsworthy enough but with little Charlie also added into the mix, she knew that the Village gossips would be having a field day. Most of the Village women were harmless enough however as they passed Mrs Thornton's pew, Mrs Hughes made sure to glare at her. The woman visibly gulped; following Mr Carson's words with her a few weeks ago, she hadn't dared say another word, well certainly not in public.

Many Villagers offered their congratulations as the three took their seats behind Mrs Patmore, Daisy, Miss Baxter and Mr Molesley. They were inundated with good wishes. Neither Mrs Hughes nor Mr Carson was used to being the centre of attention and therefore both felt a little embarrassed by the focus on them, despite the genuine kindness being shown from parishioners. Even Charlie became unusually shy with everyone looking at them, cuddling into Mrs Hughes's side as they took their seats. Mr Carson ruffled his hair as he snuggled against his Ma's side.

"I love you sweetheart," Mrs Hughes whispered to the little boy.

"Love ya too Ma,' he returned sweetly.

Mr Carson's heart melted with love, as he looked at Mrs Hughes and Charlie.

######

Once the service had begun, things returned to normal. Charlie looking forward to communion as always; he liked walking up to the front of the Church with his Ma and he still thought it incredibly funny when the Vicar patted him on the head to give him his blessing. They had now reached the part of the service where the banns of marriage were read.

"I publish the banns of marriage between Mr Charles Edward Carson of Downton Parish and Miss Elsie May Hughes of Downton Parish. This is the first time of asking. If any person knows any reason in law why they may not marry each other you are to declare it now …"

Charlie bounced up and down in his seat when he heard his Ma and Mr Carson's names, as most heads turned towards the couple again. Lady Mary turned around from her pew at the front of the Church, just in time to see her favourite Butler wiggling his eyebrows at Charlie and the little boy giggling joyously, clambering up to sit on Mr Carson's knee. She was transfixed by the scene; she didn't think she had ever seen the Butler so relaxed. Despite being innately modest and shy people, she watched as the Butler and Housekeeper smiled kindly and respectfully at the people around them and then instantly focused back on the young boy and each other. As the Vicar read the banns for another couple, Lady Mary continued to gaze at the Heads of Staff. She watched as Mr Carson held Charlie with one arm and took Mrs Hughes's hand in the other, gently smoothing his thumb across the top of her hand. It was a very respectable and genteel gesture and yet no less shocking to Lady Mary because she had never seen Mr Carson show such tenderness towards others. She had been stunned by the Butler's engagement to Mrs Hughes but as she watched them together, with little Charlie at their side, she could see how happy they made each other. She felt a flicker of envy, thinking that Mrs Hughes was blessed to have a husband with whom she could raise her son. Yet she was happy for her biggest supporter; how could she not be when she could see just how blissfully happy he was.

######

They had taken the long walk home by the Lake, Charlie in his element as he fed the ducks. They'd shared a bag of cinder toffee as they sat on the wooden bench and now Charlie and Mrs Hughes were upstairs in their bedroom, getting Charlie changed out of his Sunday best clothes and into something more comfortable. They had enjoyed a truly lovely day so far.

"Right now petal, you play with your toys whilst I quickly get changed, alright?" she said warmly, as Charlie smiled at his Ma.

Mrs Hughes busied herself changing into her day dress; it was only after a minute or so that she realised Charlie was much quieter than usual, in fact he had been almost silent.

"Are you alright love?" she asked from the other side of the room.

Charlie sat on the edge of his bed, his teddy bear in his arms. He smiled and nodded at his Ma. However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop his tears.

"Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?" Mrs Hughes gasped, as she dashed across the room to wrap her arms around him.

She sat beside him, hugging him to her side and rubbing circles on his back to try to soothe him. He was crying his little heart out, hiccupping through his sobs.

"Charlie, what is it?" she whispered, kissing his hair repeatedly and continuing to cuddle him closely. He lifted his legs up onto the bed and snuggled against his Ma. Finally, his sobs began to ease but Mrs Hughes continued to hold him close, whispering comforting, loving words as she soothed him.

"Now then, you must tell me what's upsetting you sweetheart, then I can help put it right," she said gently.

"I … I'm sorry," he said, his voice still wavering.

"You have nothing to be sorry about love, now come on, tell me what's bothering you, eh?" she said warmly.

She watched as he seemed to struggle to find the words.

"Will Mam be upset that I am happy?" he finally asked, worry etched all over his face.

 _Oh,_ Mrs Hughes whispered, beginning to see what was wrong.

"No Charlie, not at all. Your Mam loved you so much and she would only ever want you to be happy," Mrs Hughes said truthfully.

"I love you and Mr Carson … but I love her too," he said anxiously, still hiccupping through his remaining tears.

"Of course, you do. And we love you Charlie, very much. But you will always love your Mam. And she will always love you. Always. She will have a special place in your heart forever …" Mrs Hughes reassured, still holding him close.

He nodded eagerly, a small smile now appearing on his face.

"Were you worried that because you love us, that your Mam might feel a little left out?" she asked gently, realising that the poor little thing was feeling guilty for being so happy.

He nodded, his eyes opened wide like saucers as he looked up at his Ma.

"Well then, you don't have to worry for a second longer. Because I'm going to let you into a little secret. Our hearts can expand, they get bigger and bigger. They are big enough to love lots of people. So, you can love your Mam with all of your heart and you can also love me and Mr Carson. There's room for all of us in that wonderful heart of yours," Mrs Hughes beamed, tickling his chest lightly.

He giggled; his first genuine smile since he'd got upset.

"You can talk about your Mam as much as you like you know, sweetheart. She was a very special lady and she made the most beautiful, special son. She'll be looking down right now and be so proud of you. And she knows how much she means to you and I know that she will adore seeing you happy, seeing you laughing and smiling … so you mustn't worry that you'll upset her by being happy … because every time you smile, I know that she smiles too," Mrs Hughes said tenderly.

Charlie smiled a joyous, relieved smile. His Ma always made him feel better when he was upset.

"And remember, your heart will keep expanding and so there'll be lots more people that you will love throughout your life … and there's room for all of them," she smiled.

"Like Mrs Patmore!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Just like Mrs Patmore and when you are a bit older, I am sure you will love a young girl and perhaps even marry her … just like in the fairy tales," Mrs Hughes teased.

"Urgghhh no!" he said, scrunching his little face.

Mrs Hughes spluttered with laughter.

"We'll see," she smiled, as she gave him another huge, warm cuddle.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"I wish you'd tell me what's wrong?" Mrs Patmore said, as she passed by the Housekeeper's sitting-room. She had noticed the Housekeeper had been distracted for a day or two.

Mrs Hughes looked across to the Cook; she was about to tell her that everything was fine but then she thought better of it.

"Shut the door," Mrs Hughes whispered, motioning for her friend to step inside.

The Cook closed the door and they both took a seat. An embarrassed Mrs Hughes then proceeded to tell her friend exactly what was bothering her. She wasn't sure if Mr Carson wanted a full marriage or if he simply wanted warm companionship. Mrs Hughes had been pondering this for the last few days and she had gotten herself into a dreadful state. _He has kissed me several times, although they have been fairly restrained kisses_. Nevertheless, she was almost sure this meant that he wanted more than a loving friendship. However, she couldn't be totally sure. _Perhaps he wants a family with Charlie and I without … well, without the full intimacies of marriage?_ The more she thought about it, the more she reasoned that it was unlikely that he wanted her in that way. _I am approaching sixty, for heaven's sake._ They had yet to finalise arrangements at the cottage. They were due to visit their new home again tomorrow and she wanted to know where she stood before it came to discussing bedroom furnishings and other arrangements.

Mrs Hughes knew what _she_ wanted; she wanted a full and true marriage. She had admitted this to herself long ago. However, she was a modest woman and she knew that her body had changed over the years. She realised she was far from a youthful beauty and she was not sure if she could please Mr Carson the way she was now or indeed, if Mr Carson would even want her to try! _Oh dear god, the last thing I want to do is to make a fool of myself in front of Mr Carson,_ she worried _._ She loved him dearly and she wanted to be his wife in every sense but she dreaded looking ridiculous if he didn't want the same thing.

After blushing furiously throughout the previous ten minutes, the sage advice from her friend was to talk to the Butler; to talk to him honestly and openly _. Keeping secrets from one another_ _is no way to start a marriage,_ Mrs Patmore had stated wisely.

Mrs Hughes knew that Mrs Patmore was right, she needed to talk to Mr Carson. However, the prospect of such a personal conversation was mortifying. She decided that she would do it this evening, after she had had a sherry or two to fortify her.

######

"Mr Carson, would you mind coming through to my sitting-room for a minute? I know it's early but Charlie doesn't want to lie down for his nap until he's said goodnight to you," she explained, a despairing yet warm smile on her face.

Mr Carson grinned broadly.

"Of course," he rumbled, rising from his chair.

As Mrs Hughes turned to walk back out of the room, she was surprised to feel his hand touch hers. They usually refrained from such affections when others could see them. However, he very delicately continued to stroke her hand at her side.

"Are you alright Mrs Hughes? You were rather quiet over dinner," he stated, his eyes full of concern.

There was no doubt that Mrs Hughes knew him very well; she always sensed his worries and concerns immediately, knowing him almost better than he knew himself. However, he liked to think that he had also grown attuned to her ways over the years. He knew that something was amiss.

"I am fine Mr Carson," she smiled, although she realised that she did not sound very convincing.

She decided to offer a little more.

"I have one or two things on my mind, that is all. Nothing to worry about but I would like to discuss something with you a little later," she explained.

"You've not changed your mind have you?" he whispered, only half-joking.

She looked into his eyes, noting a flash of uncertainty.

"Never," she said confidently, squeezing his fingers and beaming at him. This was all the reassurance he needed, as he smiled soppily at her.

######

"Right then little fella, it is time for your nap," Mr Carson commanded tenderly, ruffling Charlie's hair.

Charlie giggled, as he snuggled down into his pillow. Mrs Hughes tucked the blanket around him, as he lay on the sofa.

"Night Mr Carson, Night Ma," he chirped sweetly.

"Night petal, now you sleep well and we'll try not to wake you when we carry you up," she said lovingly.

Mr Carson always felt greatly privileged to be part of such a special moment and he could not wait until he got to be part of every bedtime in their own home, as Charlie's father.

Mrs Hughes lowered her face to kiss Charlie's forehead. Charlie had already closed his eyes but he smiled as he felt his Ma's warm kiss. Without a thought, Mr Carson followed the Housekeeper's lead and also placed a soft kiss to Charlie's brow. Charlie's smile widened, his eyes still closed. Mrs Hughes felt her heart skip a beat as she watched her two men respond so lovingly to each other.

The Butler and Housekeeper both stepped back to gaze at the boy, lost in their own thoughts for a few seconds.

"Shall we have our sherry a little earlier tonight? And then we can talk about what is on your mind?" he whispered.

"Umm … can we leave it half an hour. I want to make sure this little one is definitely asleep," she breathed, gulping as she considered what she needed to discuss.

######

She had drunk two sherries and she knew she couldn't delay any longer. Charlie was breathing deeply, sound asleep.

"Well?" Mr Carson rumbled, hoping he had waited long enough. He was very eager to know what was on the Housekeeper's mind.

"Umm, it's a little delicate," she began softly, taking a long and steadying breath.

"You are not ill, are you?" he panicked.

"No! Honestly, will you stop second guessing me!" she said, a little more sharply than she'd intended.

She always became a little terse when she was nervous; she didn't want to be tetchy but she couldn't seem to help it.

"I apologise Mr Carson … it's just not a very easy thing to talk about," she offered.

Now it was his time to gulp as he gazed at her anxiously. If she hadn't been so nervous she would have laughed. He looked so adorable when he was concerned like this; so sincere yet unbalanced.

"I was just wondering, that is … when you asked me to marry you, did you mean for me, umm … for us rather … did you mean for us …" she stumbled.

It was so unlike Mrs Hughes not to be able to find the right words. She was not a ditherer, far from it. She was a capable and purposeful woman. _This will never do_ , she thought. _Just spit it out!_

"I need to know if you want a full marriage?" she blurted, wincing as she heard her own words.

"Sorry? I'm not sure what … oh," he gasped, understanding what she was asking.

"Do you?" he asked, more out of shock than anything else. His voice was even deeper than usual.

"I asked you first!" she responded defensively; there was no way she was admitting what she wanted, only for him to tell her that he wanted companionship.

She continued to look at him defiantly yet internally, she was panicking. _I've gone about this all wrong,_ she reasoned. _What must he think of me? Blurting out a question like that._

"I do," he said steadily, taking her completely by surprise and breaking her from her reverie.

"You do?" she replied hopefully, feeling foolish for her lack of eloquence.

Despite her brief reply, he felt untold relief to see the glint of light in her eyes and to hear the anticipation in her voice. He knew that she was pleased rather than dismayed by his response.

"You doubted that?" he asked, feeling confused.

He had thought he'd made his intentions crystal clear. He had told her that he loved her. He had kissed her. He had asked her to marry him. Yet she still doubted his intentions. He wasn't sure he would ever fully understand women, or this woman in particular.

She gazed at him helplessly; she could see that she had confused him. She needed to try to explain.

"I am a woman in late middle age Mr Carson. I wasn't sure if I could please you, the way I am now. Look at me, I'm hardly …"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, as he stepped in without hesitation.

"You are beautiful Mrs Hughes ... Elsie. And I am happy and tickled and bursting with pride that you would agree to be my wife. I want us to live as closely as two people can for the time that remains to us on earth, that is … if you also want that?" he asked cautiously, hoping with all of his heart that she did.

"I do," she said assuredly, a pretty pink blush on her cheeks as she offered this admission.

She bit her lip as she smiled lovingly at her fiancé; he looked very happy and just a little bit smug.

"Well then, that's settled then," he rumbled proudly, daring to draw her to him, his arms around her waist.

He rested his forehead against hers, forcing himself to calm; after their admissions only seconds ago it was difficult for him to maintain his restraint. Mrs Hughes observed his eyes darken and wondered if hers had also done so. She reached up and held his face in her hands, bringing his face down to hers so she could tease his lips with her own. She felt, rather than heard, his groan against her chest, as he tightened his hold on her. She could feel his control slipping away as he kissed her more passionately than he had ever dared before, his hands slipping a little lower at her waist, as he whispered sweet words against her lips.

"Mr Carson is kissing Ma!" came the delighted squeal, immediately breaking their passionate embrace as they both jumped apart, trying to gather themselves.

"Charlie, when did you wake up?" Mrs Hughes asked breathlessly, trying to act normally despite feeling decidedly light-headed.

Mr Carson's jaw hung open as he stared helplessly at Charlie, not knowing what to say or do.

"You were kissing and cuddling!" Charlie shrieked joyfully, collapsing back on his pillow in a fit of giggles.

Despite their shock, Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson couldn't help but laugh themselves, as they watched the young boy laugh hysterically. He was highly amused by the pair of them. They had never kissed in front of him before, other than a quick kiss on the cheek.

He then preceded to make little kissing noises into his pillow, imitating them, before giggling hysterically again.

They both stood horrified once more, wincing in embarrassment as they realised he had heard them kissing. Mr Carson's face turned a deep shade of puce as Mrs Hughes also blushed fiercely. She raised her hands to her cheeks as she watched as Charlie continued to laugh. She finally turned to face a mortified Mr Carson. They both smiled self-consciously at each other.

"Maybe we should have a lock on the bedroom door?" she joked cheekily.

Mr Carson's eyes shot open but he replied utterly seriously,

"Good idea."

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update. Sorry for the delay. If you have time, a review would be lovely x_**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"So then Charlie, what adventures do you have planned for today?" Mr Barrow asked warmly, as Charlie sat at the Servant's table drawing a picture.

Charlie grinned at the Under-Butler. Anna was keeping an eye on the small boy for an hour whilst Mrs Hughes did her rounds upstairs. Mr Barrow and Miss Baxter were also sitting at the table, having a mid-morning cup of tea.

"I'm going for a walk with Ma later. To the Village I think," he replied happily.

"Well that will be nice, it's a lovely sunny day. Will you feed the ducks?" Miss Baxter asked with a smile, knowing how much the little lad loved to do this.

"Yes!" he cheered.

Miss Baxter and Anna beamed at the young boy; he was always so happy.

"And will Mr Carson be going with you?" Mr Barrow asked, probing gently for some information; he had observed the Butler and the Housekeeper spending more and more time together lately.

"I hope so," Charlie smiled joyously.

Mr Barrow returned his smile. He knew that Charlie was very fond of the Butler and he would never be unkind to the little boy, even though he liked to try to annoy and outdo the adults of the House whenever he could.

"You like Mr Carson very much, don't you Charlie?" Anna asked warmly.

"I love him, just like I love Ma," he answered honestly, whilst still drawing his picture.

It didn't occur to him that he was saying anything out of the ordinary, he had simply spoken the truth. However, his open love for the Heads of Staff was rather adorable and Miss Baxter and Anna smiled emotionally at him. Anna hoped so much to have a loving child like Charlie one day.

"Quite right Charlie," Anna smiled.

######

Mrs Hughes sighed as she walked into the kitchen, gratefully accepting the cup of tea handed to her by Mrs Patmore. She was quite breathless.

"You've not been kissing the Butler again have you?" her friend teased.

Mrs Hughes rolled her eyes skyward.

"No, I have not and I cannot believe Charlie told you about that," she said, shaking her head lightly.

"He even did an impression … mwwahh … mwwahh …" she began, chuckling to herself.

"Stop! My goodness, how embarrassing. We thought he was asleep!" she gasped.

"You'll have to be more careful in future, especially when you are at the cottage," Mrs Patmore said, with a knowing smile.

"Yes well, let's not talk about all that again. As I told you, thankfully the matter is resolved," Mrs Hughes said, brushing the embarrassing matter away, although she couldn't help the little smile that appeared on her lips.

"And I'm glad to hear it. Now, if it wasn't one of Mr Carson's kisses that made you breathless, what was it?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

Mrs Hughes exhaled deeply before answering.

"Mildred, the new maid. She's a nice girl but her head really is in the clouds. You should have seen the guest beds! I had to redo them all," she explained.

"Have another cup of tea," Mrs Patmore soothed.

######

"We've a surprise for you," Mrs Hughes explained to Charlie, her expression one of delight.

The little boy was so easily excited and she loved to encourage the boy. Seeing things from the perspective of a four-year-old had given the Housekeeper a new view on life.

"A surprise?" he responded enthusiastically.

"Yes, just you wait, we'll be there soon," she added.

Mr Carson smirked happily beside her; the Housekeeper and Butler had visited the cottage previously to oversee some small alterations but they hadn't told Charlie about their new home yet.

"There?" he asked, wondering where they were going.

"Yes, there. Just at the end of this path," Mr Carson added, his eyebrows wiggling.

The young boy's eyes lit up.

Finally, they came through the opening in the trees, and observed the row of cottages.

"Here it is," Mr Carson rumbled, pointing to the cottage on the far left.

"What is it?" Charlie asked eagerly.

"It's going to be our new home, a cottage for the three of us," Mrs Hughes said happily.

"Our new home? We won't live at Downy-ton?" he asked, a slight hint of anxiety and confusion creeping into his voice.

Mrs Hughes crouched down to explain properly.

"We'll still go to Downton together every day but in the evenings and when we are not working … you, me and Mr Carson will live here. In a beautiful home, all of our own. How about that?" she asked, watching his face light up once more.

"Really? Our own home?" he asked.

"Our own home. Wait until you see inside. It is much bigger than our room at Downton," she added.

"Can we go in?" he asked excitedly.

"We can, come on …" she said, taking his hand.

Mr Carson opened the door, as they all stepped inside.

They showed the little boy along the hallway to the sitting room and then to the kitchen and adjoining dining area. Charlie danced around each room. He simply could not believe all of this was for the three of them. In each room, Mrs Hughes encouraged his enthusiasm with her words. _The three of us can read a story on the sofa in the evenings. We can have our breakfast together here. We can put all of your pictures on the wall here._ She wanted to ensure Charlie was as enthusiastic about the cottage as possible, before they had to explain the two bedrooms upstairs.

"And this is the garden," Mrs Hughes smiled, as she opened the back door.

Charlie covered his mouth with his little hands, as he looked out at the garden with the pretty flowers and trees.

"We can sit out here in the summer and you see that tree …" Mr Carson began, putting his arm around Charlie.

"I am going to make you a swing and hang it from that tree," he finished proudly.

"My own swing!" Charlie gasped.

"Your very own swing. And we are going to make a little pond, right here. Maybe the ducks will come and visit us," Mrs Hughes added with an animated smile.

Charlie squealed with happiness, jumping up and down and running around the garden.

Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson watched him with joyous hearts; the Butler reaching out and taking her hand in his. No words were needed as they gazed tenderly at each other. _We never thought we'd have this. We are a family. Our own home. Our own son._ Neither had ever felt such happiness.

"Let's go and look upstairs then," Mrs Hughes eventually said, catching Mr Carson's eye.

Charlie ran ahead of them, racing to the stairs. They looked in the bathroom and then walked into the larger bedroom. Mrs Hughes took a deep breath.

"This is the bedroom?" Charlie asked happily, as he walked into the room. His thought was confirmed when he saw the large bed.

"It is one of the bedrooms, yes. There are two bedrooms," Mrs Hughes replied.

"Two?" he asked innocently.

"Yes," Mrs Hughes said tentatively, looking to Mr Carson to speak.

He had promised that he would help her explain this.

Mr Carson coughed, trying to disperse his nerves. _How do you explain this to a four-year-old boy?_

"Yes, there are two bedrooms Charlie …" he began.

Mrs Hughes urged him on with an encouraging smile. He coughed again.

"You see, you are a growing lad now Charlie and so you will get to have your own bedroom. It's just across the hall," Mr Carson said softly.

"My own bedroom? But where will you and Ma sleep?" he asked.

"We'll urghh ... umm ... we'll sleep in here," Mr Carson stumbled.

"Together? In the same bed?" Charlie asked, feeling very puzzled.

Mr Carson looked helplessly at Mrs Hughes. The Housekeeper shook her head fondly as she took over.

"You see Charlie, when a man and woman get married, they share a bedroom," Mrs Hughes said matter of factly.

"Why?" Charlie asked. Mrs Hughes was pleased to note that he seemed intrigued rather than upset.

Mr Carson took a deep breath. _What on earth was she going to tell him?_

"Well, Mr Carson may need a cuddle during the night. He gets a bit frightened in the dark you see," Mrs Hughes said seriously, sharing an amused glance over the top of Charlie's head with the Butler.

"Do you? I used to be scared of the dark but I'm not now," Charlie said proudly.

"That's right, you are a big boy now and it will be lovely to have your own room. We've decorated it especially for you," Mrs Hughes said enthusiastically.

Charlie's mouth dropped open in delighted surprise and then a worried look appeared on his face. Mrs Hughes had been expecting this.

"Can't I sleep in the same room as you? I'll be on my own all night," he said sadly.

The Housekeeper felt her heart drop. She couldn't bear to see Charlie scared or upset. However, she knew that they had to be strong about this; Charlie would enjoy having his own room eventually and she and Mr Carson needed some time alone. _We will be newlyweds after all._ She blushed inwardly at this thought.

Mr Carson felt like he couldn't breathe; Charlie looked so troubled and upset. The Butler would not have blamed Mrs Hughes if she had given in right there on the spot.

"You will be on your own but we'll be just across the hall. It's not very far and we can leave your door open so that we can hear you … and if you need us, you can give us a shout or come and get us. However, I know you'll be fine Charlie … and I know that you will love having your own room. We are both very proud of you, growing up so fast," she said warmly, kneeling on the rug to draw Charlie to her. She held him in her arms but she could see that he still was not convinced.

"We are Charlie, we are very proud of you. Shall we go and see your lovely new bedroom? I promise you'll love it," Mr Carson said kindly, wincing as he observed the young boy's forlorn face.

Charlie nodded sadly, trying to force a smile.

Mrs Hughes felt her heart breaking, she needed to say something to make him feel more positive.

"Of course, you know what the best thing is about having your own room?" she offered.

"What?" Charlie asked, eyes wide open as he looked at his Ma.

Mrs Hughes was still holding his sides as she kneeled on the floor in front of him.

"It's that when you wake up in the morning from a lovely sleep, you can get out of bed, run in here and jump into bed with us!" she beamed, as she watched his face break into a genuine smile.

"I can come in here?" he asked excitedly.

"Certainly, I'll need my morning cuddle with my little monkey or I'm not getting out of bed!" she exclaimed, as he began to giggle.

"Did you think you couldn't come in here? My word, of course you can," Mr Carson added, bending down to place a fatherly kiss to Charlie's hair.

"Imagine that, eh? We'll even see Mr Carson in his pyjamas," Mrs Hughes joked, as Charlie chuckled ecstatically.

"Ma, Pa and our little petal, all snuggled up in bed enjoying an extra little nap each morning … now, let's go and see your bedroom," she added eagerly.

Charlie finally nodded happily, and ran across the hall. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson smiled in relief as they followed him. _Phew_ , Mr Carson mouthed.

"It's blue and there are ducks on the wall!" he exclaimed, as he looked at his very own bedroom.

"Your favourites … and you've got shelves for all of your books and your toy box can go here. We are going to get you a small desk to go on this wall …" Mrs Hughes explained.

"… and you can see right into the garden," Mr Carson finished, pointing out of the large window.

The rooms were so much brighter than at Downton, with large windows letting in the sun.

"I love my new bedroom ... so, I sleep in here and I can come into your room when I wake up?" Charlie asked, needing confirmation one last time.

"That's right, not too early of course, Mr Carson needs his beauty sleep," Mrs Hughes teased, with both her little and big Charlies laughing happily at this comment.

As Charlie continued to gaze around his room, Mr Carson put his arm around the Housekeeper's waist and whispered to her, ' _I do hope that I get a nice cuddle before Charlie arrives?'_

 _'I am sure we can manage that Mr Carson. In fact, I will look forward to it,'_ she flirted, as the Butler began to cough once again.

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update. Do let me know with a little review x_**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 ** _A/N: A short update to keep this story moving. Hope you enjoy x_**

"Is everything alright?" Mrs Hughes asked, as she observed the Butler's concerned expression.

He never could hide his feelings from her; if he was upset she could see it instantly on his face.

"Yes, yes … everything is fine …" he said, sounding anything but fine.

She stood from her desk, gazing at him wordlessly. Charlie sat on the settee, practising his counting on his abacus. Mrs Hughes did not dare say anything more as she did not want to upset the little boy.

They both looked at Charlie, happy and content. He could feel their eyes on him and so he loudly and clearly, counted to twelve. He then beamed up at them in pride.

"Well done love, all the way to twelve, my … you are a clever boy," Mrs Hughes smiled tenderly, stroking his face.

"Shall I do it again?" he asked enthusiastically.

Mr Carson desperately wanted to speak to Mrs Hughes but he did not want to dampen Charlie's enthusiasm.

"Yes please, Charlie. Let's hear it again," Mr Carson said fondly.

Mrs Hughes's heart swelled at the Butler's response to her son, especially as she knew he had much bigger matters on his mind. They both watched in wonder as Charlie counted to twelve, 'oohing and aahing' exaggeratedly as he did so. When he'd finished, they both clapped their hands. Charlie jumped off his seat and reached up to his Ma. She picked him up off the ground, not an easy task anymore as he was growing quickly, and gave him a warm cuddle.

"Well done my beautiful boy," she murmured against his soft hair.

Mr Carson gulped as he gazed at the two most important people in his life. He loved them both so much and as they chuckled together happily before him, it made what he had to tell Mrs Hughes even harder.

"Charlie, Mrs Patmore wondered if you would like to help her bake some biscuits?" Mr Carson said.

He really did need to speak to Mrs Hughes in private.

"Biscuits … ooh! Yes!" he exclaimed, wiggling out of the Housekeeper's arms to the floor and racing out of the room without another thought.

Mrs Hughes shook her head fondly, about to go and check if Charlie had reached his destination safely, when she heard Mrs Patmore cheer brightly, _Ah there you are, my little flower,_ followed by a delighted chuckle from Charlie.

She turned back to the Butler.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

The Butler closed the sitting-room door.

"His Lordship has confirmed the Family's plans for the Season," Mr Carson said levelly, trying not to sound too disheartened but failing miserably.

Mrs Hughes nodded with a sad smile; they both knew that this news was coming. However, the Family had only stayed in London briefly the previous summer, given their recent loss of Mr Crawley, and so Mrs Hughes had hoped they might shorten their trip again this year.

"When?" she asked.

"They plan to leave the first week of June, two weeks after our wedding," he sighed, reaching out to hold his fiancée's hand, as she closed her eyes at this news.

When she opened them again, there were tears in her eyes. It broke his heart.

"Elsie, I am very sorry," he said sincerely, feeling dreadful.

Despite the sorrow in his voice, it warmed her heart to hear him use her first name. He rarely did so at the House.

"It's hardly your fault, Charles. We knew they would be going. It is Lady Rose's coming out ball after all. I just hoped they might go a little later this year," she smiled weakly.

She squeezed his hand, wanting him to know that she wasn't hurt or angry at him, just disappointed that their first few weeks of marriage would be disrupted in this way.

"I hoped so too," he said.

He felt wretched and guilty.

"For three months?" she asked, biting her lip as she waited for his reply.

He nodded silently, caressing her hand with his thumb.

She sighed emotionally.

"I feel terrible Elsie. Terrible. What sort of husband and father will I be? Leaving you and Charlie on your own after two weeks of marriage. We'll hardly even have settled into our new life," he said, his own eyes now glistening with unshed tears.

It was his upset that pulled her from her own solemn thoughts. She could not cope with seeing him so downhearted. She needed to be positive, to be strong for them both.

"You have nothing to feel terrible about Charles. It is our way of life. Heaven's knows we are used to be separated during the Season …" she said, forcing another smile.

Yet they both knew this was different. Utterly different. They had never been married before during a Season. Mrs Hughes knew that the Butler was having the very same thought as her, she could read it in his eyes. Therefore, she ploughed on, determined to buoy them both.

"The three months will fly by before we know it Charles. We can write regularly. I can tell you all about Charlie and the funny things he has said. And perhaps Charlie and I could speak to you on the telephone sometimes? Perhaps we could even visit you in London?" she said cheerfully.

"Oh Elsie, that would be wonderful. Perhaps I could get some time off, spend a weekend with you? We could take Charlie to see the sights … Buckingham Palace, the Natural History Museum … London Zoo?" he said, more enthusiastically.

"That would be lovely Charles. We'll look forward to it," she beamed.

He stepped forward to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek; anyone could walk in after all.

"I'll miss you so much Elsie, so much," he whispered, before stepping backwards.

His voice was wobbling; his pain clear as he thought about the prospect of three months without Elsie and Charlie. For the first time in his life he lamented his job as Butler.

"Come here, you daft thing," she said lovingly, throwing caution to the wind, as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly.

"We'll be fine Charles, I promise," she breathed, determined to remain upbeat for them both.

"Of course we will Elsie, don't mind this soppy old Butler," he replied, hugging her just as snugly and kissing her temple.

She laughed warmly, leaning backwards in his arms to look at him.

"I happen to love this soppy old Butler," she teased.

He chuckled joyfully.

"Well that is a wonderful coincidence because I love you too," he grinned, kissing her softly.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

 ** _A/N: Many apologies that I've had to take a short break from writing this fic. Hope you are still with me and I hope to update regularly once again. Also, just to say about the last chapter, I don't intend to write more than a couple of chapters about 'The Season' but I thought it would be unrealistic not to reference it at all. No need to worry though, just remember what happened in canon during Series 4- Mrs Hughes had to join Mr Carson and the others in London and there may well have been a certain trip to the beach ;-) Hope you enjoy this update x_**

"Oh my goodness Charlie, I think we've got more water on the floor than in this bath," Mrs Hughes chuckled, as she looked at the sweet boy covered in bath suds.

"I'm a duck!" he giggled, as he flapped his wings (arms) and sploshed more water over the sides.

"I know you are and you're a very energetic duck at that!" she laughed, scooping up some suds in her hand and plopping them on his head.

He shrieked with laughter. _He certainly loves being in the bath,_ she thought happily. _Although washing his hair is not so much fun._

"Now then, that's enough quacking for now … time to wash your hair little man," she said, biting her lip as she waited for the solemn face to appear.

"Oh Ma! Do we have to?" he asked, his brow crumpled.

"Yes, we do … we want to look our best when we go into the Village tomorrow," she explained.

"Alright," he said grumpily.

"Heh now, we have nothing to be grumpy about. What did we say about how blessed we are?" she asked with a smile.

Lately, she had made a point of teaching Charlie to be thankful for the blessings in their lives. She was worried that she may have been spoiling him a little, given everyone he had been through, and she wanted to ensure that she brought him up to be a thoughtful, grateful young man.

He looked slightly sheepish at his Ma's comment, remembering what they had discussed, and then he beamed happily as he remembered all of the things he was thankful for.

"We are very, very, very thanky … ful … because we have each other and we have Mr Carson, and we have nice friends like Mrs Patmore and Daisy and Mr Barrow … and we have food and a nice home … and there are other boys and girls who don't have any of that …" he said earnestly.

She looked at him proudly.

"That's right my love, how lucky we are!" she smiled, whilst stroking his cheek.

He smiled joyously at his Ma.

"So a little hair wash is the last thing we have to worry about, isn't it? And anyway, ducks wash their hair all of the time!" she said with a cheeky grin.

"Do they?" he asked, excited by this.

"They do, so close your eyes and let's get this done!" she replied, as she watched him scrunch his eyes closed.

She shook her head happily, as she poured the warm water gently over his hair and watched him squirm. _Life was good._

######

"Mr Carson, what's a Ball?" Charlie asked, as he slurped his custard from his spoon.

"Here, look … it's easier to eat it like this," the Butler said warmly, demonstrating how to take a small spoonful to his mouth rather than slurp it, as he leaned over his bowl.

Charlie observed the Butler delightedly and copied his actions. A bit of his sponge and custard fell back into his bowl but it was certainly an improvement.

"I didn't make as much noise!" Charlie gasped.

Mr Carson laughed, as did Anna and Mrs Patmore who were also sitting at the Servant's table enjoying a much-needed sit down and a cup of tea.

"No, you didn't, well done! Now, about this Ball …" Mr Carson added.

"Ma said there's a Ball next week for all of the grown-ups," the little boy said, as he continued to eat his dessert.

Mrs Hughes was getting some paperwork done in her office whilst Mr Carson looked after Charlie.

"There is … it's called the Servant's Ball. All the grown-ups get to dance to music," Mr Carson explained.

"Dance?" he asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

The Butler realised that this was harder than he thought; he now needed to explain what dancing was.

"Yes, a man and a woman dance together you see …. umm," he stumbled.

"Here, we'll show you," Mrs Patmore announced, rising from her seat.

Mr Carson looked shell-shocked.

"Don't worry, I meant me and Anna!" she laughed, pulling Anna from her seat.

The two did a couple of twirls around the table to show Charlie what the Butler meant by dancing.

Charlie cheered as they danced, clapping as they both collapsed back into their seats.

"Do you dance like that with Ma?" the little boy asked.

Mr Carson cheeks flushed pink at this thought; he had never danced with Mrs Hughes.

"Not at the Servant's Ball. You see, one of the Servants dances with one of the Family upstairs,"

"Why? You should dance with Ma," he returned innocently. It seemed simple to him.

"He should, shouldn't he Charlie?" Mrs Patmore added mischievously, as Mr Carson rolled his eyes. He then turned back to Charlie, a lovely thought crossing his mind.

"I will dance with your Ma at our wedding," he said proudly.

Mrs Patmore and Anna looked at the stubborn Butler fondly.

"I want to dance with Ma too. Will you teach me?" Charlie asked.

"I certainly will," said the Butler.

######

"Hello Mrs Hughes, Charlie … how are you? And what have you got there?" Mr Branson asked, bending down to greet the little boy.

"I'm good. It's a newspaper for Mr Carson. I'm going to read it with him," Charlie explained, looking up to his Ma for confirmation.

Mrs Hughes nodded at him, resting her arm on his shoulder.

"Can you read?" Miss Sybbie asked, impressed by this thought.

The little girl was a year younger than Charlie and she couldn't read at all.

"Yep!" he declared proudly.

Mrs Hughes caught Mr Branson's eye and they both smirked good-humouredly at each other, knowing that he couldn't read yet but he thought he could.

"I can count to twelve as well," he added.

Mrs Hughes bit her lip; even at this age, here was a young man trying to impress a young girl.

"Miss Sybbie can count too, I've heard her in the nursery, and she draws the most beautiful pictures … just like you," Mrs Hughes said caringly.

Sybbie grinned from ear to ear.

"We could draw together sometime if you like," Charlie said matter-of-factly, reaching up to hold his Ma's hand.

Mrs Hughes was about to jump in to ease the way, knowing this would not be appropriate. However, Mr Branson spoke before she had the chance.

"Sybbie would like that, wouldn't you sweetheart?" Mr Branson asked.

Mrs Hughes smiled warmly at the ex-Chauffeur, not for the first time. He was a kind soul and she had always had a soft spot for him.

"Yes! You could come to the nursery," she said excitedly.

She didn't have a friend her age; only her cousin George but he was far too small to draw or play properly with her.

"When? Today?" he asked eagerly.

"Umm … hang fire now my little monkey …" she gasped, as both Charlie and Sybbie looked at each other and burst into giggles at this funny name.

"We'll sort a suitable time when we are back at the House, alright?" she smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Alright!" he beamed happily. Sybbie nodded too.

"Right then, let's get this newspaper back to Mr Carson. It was lovely to see you both," the Housekeeper added, nodding her goodbye to Mr Branson and Sybbie.

"Likewise," Mr Branson grinned.

"Mr Carson promised to juggle apples for me later too," Charlie declared enthusiastically to his Ma, as they walked away from Sybbie and her father.

Mrs Hughes heard Mr Branson laughing cheerfully on hearing this comment.

 _Whoever would have thought such a thing from the Butler,_ the younger man smiled to himself, feeling absolutely delighted for Mrs Hughes.

 ** _A/N: Thank you to BorneToFlow for the dancing idea, we'll come back to that. If you get a chance, a review would be lovely x_**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 ** _A/N: Many thanks for sticking with this fic. Hope you enjoy this update x_**

"Let's try again …" Mr Carson chuckled.

Charlie had asked the Butler to teach him how to dance, so that he could dance with his Ma. However, so far Mr Carson's attempts to teach him hadn't been very successful. He had decided to focus on a waltz as that seemed the simplest option.

"Let's stand beside each other, facing the same way," the Butler suggested.

Little Charlie stood happily beside Mr Carson and concentrated intensely on the bigger man's feet.

"So, we step forward with our left foot … then step out to the side, then join our feet together," he demonstrated.

Charlie attempted to copy this. He could step forward with no problems but it was the stepping to the side that confused him as he wasn't sure where his other foot was meant to be!

"I can't do it," he said, his lovely blue eyes looking sadly up to Mr Carson.

"Heh, come on now … the Ball isn't until tomorrow evening, we've still got plenty of time to teach you," Mr Carson smiled, patting the little boy's head gently.

Of course, Charlie wasn't allowed to go to the Servant's Ball but Mr Carson had promised that Charlie could dance with his Ma after the Ball. Mrs Patmore was also in on this plan and she was preparing some extra drinks and nibbles for the staff to have downstairs, following the formal proceedings. Many of the Staff looked forward to the Ball but it wasn't the most relaxed environment for them and so it would be nice for them to have a little celebration of their own downstairs.

"Tell you what, I have an idea … I'll be the woman and …" Mr Carson began, interrupted by delighted giggles from Charlie.

The little boy immediately brightened, holding his tummy as he laughed gloriously at this thought.

"You can't be a girl! Ma is a girl! We are boys …" he exclaimed, still in fits of giggles.

Mr Carson laughed himself; this little boy was like a ray of sunshine.

"I'll be the girl for one night …" he began again, wiggling his eyebrows and encouraging more laughter.

"… and you'll be the boy … you can hop up on my feet and I'll guide you around."

Charlie's eyes lit up.

"On your feet?" he gasped.

"Yes, come on, I have big feet, it won't hurt," Mr Carson grinned, as he guided the little boy to stand on his two shoes.

He held Charlie securely at his sides to balance him, as Charlie beamed with joy.

"Now, we do have one little problem," Mr Carson smirked.

"What?"

"You are meant to gently hold the lady's back with one hand and then hold the lady's hand with your other hand … but I don't think you'll be able to reach my back somehow … given that I am a giant and you are a little monkey," the Butler reasoned with a grin, using Mrs Hughes's endearment for the little lad.

Charlie chuckled again and tried valiantly to reach Mr Carson's back but he was indeed too small.

"Just hold the back of my waistcoat and then my other hand, it'll be fine! And your Ma is smaller than me," the Butler whispered with a grin.

Charlie nodded happily and did just that.

"Now hold on tight … and off we go …" Mr Carson said, as he began to waltz them around his pantry, Charlie's small feet resting on his.

Charlie was beyond excited as they moved around the room. Gasps of delight and giggles resounded as the two Charlie's waltzed seamlessly.

"I can wals … I can wals!" the smaller of the two cheered.

######

"And what have you two been up to?" Mrs Hughes asked, with an amused glance.

"Nothing," they both said in unison, telling her immediately that they had indeed been up to something.

"It's a surprise," Mr Carson added, seeing that Mrs Hughes knew they were up to something.

"A surprise?" she asked with a smile; she could see that Charlie was almost about to burst, desperate to tell her.

"A surprise!" the little boy said, bouncing up and down but somehow managing to say no more.

######

The Servant's Ball had gone smoothly; Mrs Hughes organising it to perfection as she did every year. Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes had opened the dancing with Lady Grantham and Lord Grantham respectively and then much music and dancing had followed. As with every year, they didn't get to dance together; it wouldn't be appropriate, even now that they were engaged. They were really there to serve, allowing the younger staff to have a little time off whilst they continued to oversee proceedings.

Mrs Hughes had noticed that Mr Carson had seemed a little distracted during the evening and she hoped he was alright. _Surely, he is not having cold feet?_ She pondered briefly. _The wedding is only a week away after all._ However, she soon admonished herself for such a silly thought, Mr Carson was a man of his word and had only served to remind her, time and time again, of his love and commitment since they'd been engaged. After all the years of knowing him and being his colleague, he had finally let his guard down and opened his heart to her fully. This thought made her smile beautifully as she watched the others dance from the side of the room.

"Penny for them?" he whispered.

She jumped slightly; she hadn't noticed him glide up behind her.

"I was just thinking about the man I love," she breathed, a contented smile on her lips as she caught his gaze.

He looked ridiculously proud at this, making her chuckle.

"You did mean me?" He asked suddenly, only half-joking.

He'd been distracted all night, as he looked forward to the surprise he and Charlie had planned, and he hoped he hadn't misconstrued her meaning.

"I did," she said fondly, shaking her head at her daft man.

######

The hall boys had moved the tables in the Servant's Hall to the sides of the room, ensuring a makeshift dancefloor in the middle. There was already a few of the staff dancing whilst Jimmy played piano at the side of the room. Other staff enjoyed drinks as they chatted. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson descended the stairs side by side.

"I'll just check on Charlie, he should be still sleeping but the music may have woken him," she smiled, as she headed for her sitting-room.

"I'll check on Charlie, you go and get yourself a drink and I'll be through in a moment," he said, stepping in front of her path and gulping at his little ruse.

Mrs Hughes could see immediately that something was amiss, her fiancé really could not lie, but she decided to go along with it for the time being.

"Alright then, I'll see you in there," she said, wondering what on earth he was up to.

Five minutes later, Mr Carson walked into the Servant's Hall holding Charlie's hand.

The little boy was bursting with excitement as he looked around the room that was full of people laughing and dancing to the music. His Ma spotted him and her mouth dropped open in surprise. As she walked across the room, Charlie and the Butler looked thrilled that they had already surprised her.

"And what do we have here? I thought my little monkey was asleep … and in his pyjamas," she added, looking at her adorable little boy who was now all dressed in his Sunday best clothes.

"I hope you don't mind but I promised Charlie that he could come to our little Ball downstairs, he has your surprise, you see," Mr Carson smiled, hoping that he hadn't overstepped with this decision.

He was soon reassured when Mrs Hughes smiled lovingly at them both.

"And what is my surprise?" she asked, genuinely having no idea.

Charlie looked up at Mr Carson and the Butler winked at him. It was time.

"James, a waltz please," Mr Carson boomed across the room.

Jimmy nodded and began to play suitable music.

Charlie reached up and took his Ma by the hand, pulling her into the centre of the room. Mrs Patmore knew what was coming and she whispered to Anna and Daisy. The women beamed as they watched the little boy and Mrs Hughes.

He held his Ma's waist with one hand, and held her other hand as high as he could. He then began, counting out the steps as he moved. He watched as his Ma's eyes sparkled at him; she was shocked and touched by this surprise. He grinned from ear to ear, knowing he had made his Ma happy. Mrs Hughes immediately stepped in time with her little boy, watching him carefully as he continued. He gained confidence with every step and soon had the attention of everyone in the room. They clapped and cheered as he danced with Ma.

"My beautiful boy. You can waltz. This is the best surprise I have ever had!" she gasped.

"Really?" he asked eagerly.

"Really. Only grown up men usually waltz. Whenever did you learn?" she asked, although she realised it must have been yesterday.

"Yesterday! Mr Carson taught me," he explained.

"You dance so well," she smiled tenderly, squeezing his hand.

She didn't think she had ever seen him look so proud, as they continued to move around the room.

Mr Carson watched from beside Mrs Patmore, feeling a tug at his heart as he watched this beautiful scene.

"Go on, your turn … she'd love it," the Cook whispered, as the music began to wind down.

Mr Carson hesitated for a few seconds, unsure if it was appropriate. They had never danced. He had been waiting until their wedding. However, she looked so beautiful and he really did not think he could resist for a second longer. He strided across to the pair.

"Young sir, may I cut in and dance with your Ma?" Mr Carson said, in an exaggerated and very posh voice.

Charlie chuckled at the Butler's silly voice and nodded happily. Mrs Hughes was more stunned than ever; she had not expected the Butler to dance with her. They had never done so before and she felt both exhilarated and overcome. Mr Carson shook Charlie's hand formally, to more giggles from the boy, and Mrs Hughes bent down to hug her son tightly.

"I love you Charlie, so much," she said.

"Love you too Ma," he returned sweetly, before running across to Mrs Patmore. She lifted him to sit on the edge of the table, so that he could watch his Ma, and soon to be Pa, as they danced, and he gladly took the glass of milk and shortbread she offered.

"May I?" Mr Carson said, feeling quite overcome himself as he gazed adoringly at his fiancée.

"You may," she replied, a noticeable quiver in her voice.

He gently wound his arm around her, pulling her to him, as close as was respectable. She could smell the familiar scent of his cologne as he held her protectively. She felt blissfully happy.

"I finally get to dance with my girl," he whispered, as he twirled her slowly around the room, his cheek touching her soft hair.

She leant backwards a little, to look into his eyes, and she was glad to see that his eyes were also glistening with tears.

"I love you Charles Carson," she declared with conviction, wanting him to know that he, along with Charlie, meant everything to her.

"I love you too Elsie," he breathed, placing the softest kiss to her forehead.

The Housekeeper felt herself melt in his arms, as they slowly danced around the Servant's Hall, lost in their own thoughts and without a care in the world.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Mrs Hughes and Charlie were sitting by the Lake, eating their sandwiches and both very much enjoying the Housekeeper's half day.

"Do you want some more lemonade Charlie?" she asked.

"Yes please Ma," he smiled, as he swung his legs happily as they sat on the bench.

She topped up his cup and watched him gulp the liquid down. _He really is a growing boy,_ she thought. He could eat and drink almost twice as much as her.

"I have something to ask you," she said softly, taking both of their empty cups and placing them on the ground.

She swivelled around on the bench to face him.

"What?" he asked sweetly, turning to face his Ma.

"Well, you know that Mr Carson and I are getting married on Friday …" she began.

He nodded eagerly, a bright smile on his face.

"We go to Church and the Vicar says some words and then Mr Carson becomes my Pa!" he explained excitedly.

Mrs Hughes chuckled at his very evident excitement and the fact that to Charlie, the most important outcome of the wedding was the Butler becoming his Pa rather than her new husband!

"And we all get to live in the cottage together … me, you and my new Pa," he added, scrunching his little face in joy.

"We do!" she concurred fondly.

She decided not to mention again that she and the Butler would be having a short break away following the wedding, and only after this would the three of them move into the cottage. This issue had taken some tricky handling; Charlie was very scared by the thought of his Ma leaving him. He had broken down in tears the previous week when she had explained this to him in the gentlest of terms. She had reassured him over and over again that it was only for two nights and that he would have a wonderful time with Mrs Patmore and the other staff looking after him. However, memories of losing his Mam were understandably still very strong and he and Mrs Hughes had never been parted for longer than an hour or two, therefore, the Housekeeper was not looking forward to their eventual parting. As for the current moment, she thought it best not to say a thing; they could come back to this later and hopefully things would work out in the end.

She and the Butler hadn't dared to go away for any longer than two days, they couldn't leave Charlie for any longer and anyway, two weeks after the wedding, Mr Carson would be traveling to London for the Season and so they needed some time to settle into their new cottage as a family. This prospect of months apart also loomed large on the horizon, although they hadn't mentioned it to Charlie yet. Instead, Mrs Hughes thought it best to focus simply on their lovely wedding day and the excitement of the celebrations.

"Now then, at the start of the wedding, the lady walks down the aisle in the Church and her groom, the man, is waiting for her at the front of the Church. And normally, her Pa walks her down the aisle," she explained.

"But you haven't got a Pa, he's in heaven with the angels," Charlie responded worriedly.

"He is … but I do have another very special man in my life, who I was hoping might walk with me, down the aisle …" she said, biting her lip as she watched his thoughts turning over.

"Me!" he gasped, almost jumping off the bench.

"Yes, you! Would you walk me down the aisle Charlie? All of our friends will be there, as well as the upstairs Family, and so it would make you a very grown up young man," she explained tenderly, watching as his eyes lit up.

"Yes, yes please!" he cheered, pulling himself up to kneel on the bench and reaching forward to hug his Ma tightly.

Mrs Hughes covered his hair in small kisses as she cuddled him to her.

######

They had arrived back at the Abbey. As soon as they stepped inside, Charlie spotted the Butler standing at the end of the Servant's hall and he ran along the downstairs corridor, hurtling full throttle towards Mr Carson with outstretched arms.

"Mr Carson, Mr Carson!" he exclaimed.

As Mrs Hughes followed behind her son, she observed Mr Carson's face first show surprise on hearing his name being called and then change to absolute delight when he saw the bundle of energy running towards him.

Despite the fact that there were several staff in the room, the Butler held his arms open and lifted Charlie clear from the floor. The little boy's hands held the back of the Butler's neck, as Mr Carson held Charlie in his arms.

"Guess what?" Charlie asked breathlessly.

"What?" Mr Carson asked exaggeratedly, as Mrs Hughes shook her head warmly.

"I'm gonna walk Ma down the aisle at the wedding!"

"Oh, now that is a relief. I was worried about how she'd get to the front of the Church to meet me," he joshed in return.

Charlie giggled loudly, shaking his head.

"I'll get her to you, don't worry," Charlie added in all seriousness, pleased that he now had this very important job to do.

Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes chuckled at his words.

######

"Mr Barrow, do you want to get married to a girl one day?" Charlie asked in all innocence, as he sat at the Servant's table after the staff's evening meal.

Thankfully, there was only Miss Baxter still sitting at the table, along with the Under-Butler and the little boy. Mrs Hughes had left Charlie in the care of Mr Barrow for an hour, whilst she and Mr Carson planned the seating placements for the wedding. Mr Barrow and the little boy were doing Charlie's favourite jigsaw for the umpteenth time.

Charlie continued to look up at Mr Barrow, awaiting a response.

"Uh-hum … maybe one day Charlie … I haven't met the right girl yet," he replied kindly, sharing an amused glance with Miss Baxter.

"Do men have to get married?" Charlie then asked.

"No … no-one has to get married. Neither girls nor boys. It's up to you … I may never get married. I like having my own bed too much," Mr Barrow joked kindly.

"I'm not getting married either!" Charlie declared.

Mr Barrow and Miss Baxter both chuckled cheerfully.

"But what if you meet a pretty girl one day Charlie, you might want to marry her," she explained.

"I won't! Girls are funny … Sybbie put flowers in her hair the other day ..." he said, a look of horror on his face as if this was the most bizarre thing in the world.

"You won't be marrying Miss Sybbie then?" Mr Barrow asked in amusement.

"Urghh no. She's my friend. I am going to live with Ma and Mr Carson when I'm older, not a girl," he reasoned.

"That sounds like a good plan for now," Mrs Baxter smiled warmly, as Mr Barrow ruffled Charlie's hair. They were both very fond of the little boy; all of the downstairs staff were.

Charlie nodded cheerfully, happy with this plan, before continuing with his jigsaw.

######

"Charles, for heaven's sake … it's the school hall, we haven't got that many places to put His Lordship!" she said, feeling despair at the fussiness of her husband-to-be.

They were both leaning over the seating plan that rested on her desk in her sitting-room.

"But it's not right Elsie, His Lordship cannot sit beside Mr Molesley," he said, his face rumpled.

Mrs Hughes realised in that moment, that when the Butler scrunched his face like that, he looked exactly like Charlie. She chuckled to herself at this thought.

"And why not? Charles, that's the whole point of us having the reception at the School House, so we can invite all sorts … everyone who has been part of our lives here at the Abbey. You agreed to this," she reminded him.

Certainly, there had been a few days of deliberation, as Lady Mary had pushed for them to have their reception at the House. However, much to the Housekeeper's great delight, her fiancé had agreed with her rationale; Downton wasn't really them, it was certainly an important part of them, but it wasn't who they truly were. Also, the thought of dancing with his bride and having fun with Charlie in a more relaxed setting, had finally won him over.

"I know I did and I still agree. But Elsie … Mr Molesley?" he asked, his face looking pained.

Mrs Hughes couldn't help but laugh; the poor footman really wasn't held in very high regard by her exacting fiancé.

"How about we swap Miss Baxter and Mr Molesley then? I presume that you trust her not to disgrace us in front of His Lordship?" she asked, mocking her husband gently.

He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Yes, that fine," he grumbled.

"Good," she returned cheekily, reaching up to kiss his cheek, to soothe his frayed edges.

He smiled smugly at this, reaching around her back to give her bottom a gentle yet daring tap. She pretended to look shocked at this but they both knew that she wasn't really shocked at all.

"Right then, almost there … there's just Lady Mary to place. I was thinking beside Mrs Patmore …" she said, biting her lip as she heard the horrified gasp from beside her.

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update, as we move towards the wedding. Please do let me know- I appreciate each and every one of your reviews x_**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"It comes to something when we have to sneak out of the House, just to get five minutes together," Mrs Hughes chuckled, as she squeezed Mr Carson's hand.

He grinned in return and lowered his head to place a soft kiss to her temple. They sat together on a bench in the rose garden, enjoying the afternoon sun.

"What did you tell Charlie?" he asked.

"A little white lie, otherwise he would have asked to come with us … I told him we had to clean out the fireplace at the cottage, I knew he wouldn't want to help with that," she smiled warmly.

They both loved Charlie to bits but sometimes they needed to spend a little time just the two of them.

"I don't think it's going to be easy to get time alone with our little monkey around," Mr Carson joked.

Mrs Hughes laughed too but then all of sudden, she felt worried; knowing that they were marrying under circumstances that were far from normal.

"And are you alright with that Charles? Really? I realise that it is very unusual for a newly married couple to already have a child to care for …" she offered.

The Butler's head spun swiftly to look at his fiancée.

"Elsie of course! Of course, I am alright with that … more than alright. I was only teasing," he said, feeling dreadful that she would think he was not happy with the situation, he had never been happier.

"I know you were. But it is unusual Charles. Newlyweds normally have time together, as a couple. We'll have precious little of that. It's a lot to ask of you … to take on a wife and a child," she said seriously.

This wasn't something they had really discussed and the Housekeeper had not planned on speaking about it now. However, now that the thought had come to her, she needed to discuss it, to put her mind at rest.

"Elsie, you are not asking anything of me. You are giving me everything … a beautiful wife and a delightful son, both of whom I love with all of my heart. You are giving me the two most precious gifts I could ask for," he said sincerely.

Mrs Hughes smiled brilliantly at his words.

"I just wouldn't want you walking down that aisle tomorrow under any illusions Charles, being a parent is a full-time job … something I have learned over the last few months. We will still make time for us as a couple … we must … but it'll not be that often whilst Charlie is still young," she said, wanting to be honest.

"Elsie, I know, I know that and I understand. Where has all of this come from? You aren't having second thoughts, are you? Do you think I am not up to being a father?" he asked, feeling panicked.

Mrs Hughes gasped at that, she realised that she hadn't explained this very well at all.

"No. My goodness Charles! No. You will make the most wonderful father. Goodness, there is no doubt in my mind of that. Charlie will have the most incredible father in you. I suppose … I just got thinking … its unusual enough for a couple of our age to marry, let alone to marry and have a four-year-old son to take care of … I just wanted to make sure you that you knew what you were getting into …" she explained, feeling silly to have started this conversation now.

She loved this man with every fibre of her being; the last thing she wanted to do was prompt him to have doubts. She just felt she needed to be sure.

"Well I do know and I couldn't be happier," he triumphed with certainty.

She smiled gloriously at his confidence.

"I couldn't be happier either Charles. We both love you so very much," she declared tenderly, reaching upwards to cup his face with her hand, then kissing him soundly on the lips.

He responded immediately, wrapping his arms tightly around the Housekeeper, one hand grasping her neck softly and then running his hand into her hair. As their kiss grew more passionate, they both instinctively tore themselves apart, knowing that they needed to stop. Mr Carson grumbled at the loss of contact, as the Housekeeper smiled at him, their foreheads resting together.

 _'_ _One more day,'_ she whispered, eliciting another eager murmur from her husband-to-be.

######

"And you make sure you are a good boy for Mr Carson," Mrs Hughes beamed, as she finished fastening his coat.

"Ma, I'm always a good boy!" Charlie replied sweetly, rolling his eyes a little. Mrs Hughes was sure he had picked up that particular facial gesture from her.

The female staff in the Housekeeper's sitting-room chuckled happily at this.

"So you are, my little tinker," she returned, tickling his tummy.

Charlie giggled happily; the familiar sound of his laughter soon filling the room.

"Right, all set …" she cheered, kissing her son's cheek.

"All set," he repeated.

Mrs Patmore walked into the room, right on cue; spotting the little boy was ready to leave.

"Now, are you sure you don't want to stay with us Charlie?" the Cook teased, knowing how much the little boy was looking forward to spending the evening with the Butler. He had talked about it all day.

"Mrs Patmore, I am a boy and you are all girls. The boys can't be with the girls tonight," he explained seriously, having had the traditions of the wedding eve explained to him.

"Is that right?" Mrs Patmore added, withholding a smile as she observed the boy's exasperated expression.

"Yep, I told you that earlier! And Ma can't see Mr Carson, it's bad luck," he added.

"I see. And what are you and Mr Carson up to again?" she asked, encouraging the little boy to explain further.

Daisy, Miss Baxter and Anna watched from the side-lines, highly amused by the sparky young boy and Mrs Patmore's conversation.

"We are going to walk to the Village with the other men and have a pint at the pub!" he exclaimed excitedly, as the room full of women laughed loudly.

Charlie beamed brightly, glad to have amused them all so much.

"A pint, eh?" Mrs Hughes teased, pulling her son towards her to give him a big cuddle.

"Yep, Mr Carson said I can have a pint!" he repeated enthusiastically, not knowing what a pint really was but being very excited about this prospect anyway.

Mrs Hughes knew that Mr Carson had meant a pint of lemonade rather than beer! Charlie had never been in the pub before; children were not usually allowed. However, Mr Bates had organised for a special room at the side of the public house to be used for the men to have a drink and, therefore, the Butler had suggested Charlie come along with them. The little boy had been looking forward to this for days, he felt so grown up.

Mr Carson wanted the little boy to be part of this special evening and the added bonus of bringing him along was that it would give the Butler an excuse to leave after just one or two drinks. Mr Carson had been touched when the Valet suggested a drink to wish him well, and he knew that Mrs Hughes planned to share a few glasses of wine with the female staff, but such a social gathering was really not for him. Therefore, a quick drink it would be and then he'd bring Charlie home and enjoy spending the rest of the evening with the little boy. He would hand Charlie back to Mrs Hughes at the end of the evening, via Mrs Patmore of course, so as not to be seen by his fiancée on the eve of their wedding.

"You enjoy your pint then my sweetheart, and I will see you later this evening," Mrs Hughes beamed, kissing his cheek again.

"See you later Ma, love you," he chimed, before happily taking Mrs Patmore's hand, so that she could walk him to the Servant's Hall to join the Butler.

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update. Please do let me know. Next chapter, a little more of the Wedding Eve x_**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Ready for a pint then Charlie?" Mr Barrow smiled, as they walked along the path to the Village.

Charlie held Mr Carson's hand, very excited to be going to the pub with the men. They had never been on an outing like this together. He normally only ever saw the male staff at the House or at Church.

"Yep! But I'm having lemonade not beer … beer is for grown-ups and I'm only small," he explained seriously, as the men all smiled fondly at him.

Charlie looked up at the Butler, who winked at him. The young boy continued to skip along happily beside him.

"And Ma said too much beer makes men wobble and fall down!" Charlie exclaimed, covering his mouth with his free hand and chuckling joyously at this funny thought.

Mr Carson and the others laughed too; delighted to be in the little boy's company.

Mr Bates, Mr Barrow and Mr Molesley walked with the Butler and Charlie. They weren't used to socialising together but Mr Bates had thought they should mark this special occasion with a drink for Mr Carson and he knew that Anna and the female staff were having a drink with Mrs Hughes. Therefore, as soon as the meal upstairs was over, the male staff headed to the Village. Mr Carson had offered to stay a little longer to serve after-dinner drinks to the Family but Lord Grantham, alerted beforehand by Mr Bates, had insisted that Mr Carson go to the pub, assuring him that the Family could serve themselves.

######

"This time tomorrow, you'll be Mrs Carson," Mrs Patmore exclaimed, before taking another sip of wine.

"I know. Who would have thought?" Mrs Hughes joked.

"I would. Mr Carson has always had a soft spot for you," Daisy smiled soppily.

The Assistant-Cook, along with all of the downstairs women, were thrilled that the Butler and Housekeeper had finally got together.

"I don't know about that," Mrs Hughes said modestly, feeling her cheeks blush a little.

"Daisy's right. He's only ever had eyes for you," Anna smiled warmly. The Lady's Maid would never want to overstep the mark but she felt a little gentle teasing of her superior was in order.

"Honestly!" Mrs Hughes gasped, taking a huge sip of wine to hide her embarrassment, as all of the women smiled at her.

######

The men were sitting in the side room of the pub, drinking their beers. Mr Barrow had asked the landlord to put Charlie's lemonade in a pint glass, making the young boy feel included despite it only being half-full. Charlie sat with his two small hands at either side of the glass and Mr Carson helped him when he wanted to take a sip. The little boy sat close to the Butler's side on the seat, in his smart shirt and trousers, feeling very grown up.

Ten minutes earlier, Mr Carson had been truly surprised when Mr Branson and Lord Grantham entered the room. They also wanted to wish the Butler well and this touched Mr Carson greatly. He felt a little uncomfortable to have His Lordship sharing a pint with him and the other men but having Charlie at his side allowed him to feel more relaxed than normal and it was his wedding eve after all.

"Well Mr Carson, best wishes from all of us for tomorrow," Mr Bates cheered, as they all raised their glasses to the Head of Staff.

"Cheers!" Charlie copied sweetly, as Mr Carson grinned, lowering his head to kiss Charlie's hair.

The little boy snuggled a little closer to the Butler's side. He was enjoying being in the pub with the men but it was also quite overwhelming, as the loud chatter of a pub full of men next door could be heard through the door.

The sight of the giant, formidable Butler behaving so tenderly towards the little boy, was enough to affect even the coldest heart. Certainly, the men present were very moved. Lord Grantham was particularly affected; he didn't think he had ever seen the Butler so openly affectionate. Of course, he knew that the Butler had the capacity for kindness and love; his own daughter was very fond of Mr Carson. However, to see his devotion to the young boy, was really quite something.

As for the Staff, they had never seen the Butler as sentimental until the last few weeks. Mr Carson had worried initially about a potential loss of standing with the other servant's as he began to show his emotions more openly, however, Mrs Hughes had reassured him that it was good for the Staff to see that he had a heart. _It'll remind them that you are a member of the human race_ , she had said. The Butler smiled to himself as he thought of her sparky comment.

"And you are a very lucky man, Mr Carson. Mrs Hughes is a lovely woman," Mr Molesley said genuinely.

Mr Carson would normally have baulked at such a personal comment but he knew it was well intentioned given the circumstances.

"She is indeed. I am very blessed," he rumbled, feeling a little unbalanced.

"Here, here," added Mr Branson. A man who also had much fondness for the Housekeeper.

"Ma is the best. She loves me and she loves Mr Carson. And we love her … don't we?" Charlie added innocently, whilst lifting his huge glass to his lips.

Mr Carson's grinned down at the little boy, holding the bottom of the glass to help him take a sip.

"We certainly do."

######

"A little gift from all of us … but you might want to open it later, when you are on your own," Mrs Patmore winked, handing the beautifully wrapped parcel to Mrs Hughes.

The Cook knew that that Mrs Hughes was a very private woman and she did not want her to feel embarrassed. It was a rather risqué garment, certainly by the Housekeeper's standards.

The knowing giggles of the other women told Mrs Hughes that whatever this was, she would be best to open it in the privacy of her room.

"It's for your wedding night," Daisy added mischievously, as Mrs Hughes's face turned a deep shade of puce.

"On my. Thank you all very much," she managed, still blushing.

"Not at all. We wanted to get you a little treat," Anna added levelly, yet the sparkle in her eyes was clear. As the only married woman in the room; she knew exactly what was to come for Mrs Hughes.

"But you've all done so much already. My dress, the coat … helping to get the school hall ready and all of the food … I am very grateful and I am so glad you are all going to be a part of our day tomorrow," Mrs Hughes said fondly.

She would always be so glad that she and Mr Carson had agreed to have their reception at the School House, rather than at the Abbey. It meant that her friends and colleagues could enjoy the day as proper guests rather than servants; just as she wanted it.

"We are all honoured to be part of your special day Mrs Hughes. It is going to be wonderful," Miss Baxter added softly.

"It is. And I think Charlie may burst with excitement," Daisy laughed happily, as the others joined her.

Mrs Hughes smiled wonderfully. Tomorrow, she, Charlie and Mr Carson would finally become a family and she could not wait.

######

"Charlie, time to go through to your Ma, time for bed," Mr Carson whispered, trying not to startle the boy.

Charlie had been asleep for the last hour, resting on the Butler's knee as they sat in his pantry. After a couple of drinks, the two had walked back to the Abbey hand in hand. Mr Carson had encouraged the other men to stay at the pub a little longer, as he had offered his thanks and happily walked out into the cool evening air with the little boy. They sang songs and chatted as they walked, happy in each other's company. The warmth of the fire in his pantry, combined with the excitement of the evening, had meant Charlie fell asleep almost instantly. Mr Carson had happily let Charlie doze as he took the opportunity to reflect about what lay ahead; a wonderful life with the woman he loved and a son he adored. He felt utterly blessed.

As Charlie roused from his sleep, he smiled drowsily at the Butler.

######

Once Charlie was more fully awake, Mr Carson watched him walk along the corridor to Mrs Hughes's sitting-room. The Butler was under strict instructions not to set eyes on the Housekeeper and so he made sure to stay at his pantry door. Charlie grinned from ear to ear as he waved to Mr Carson and stepped inside the room. The other female staff were still there, as he ran into the arms of his Ma.

"Hello sweetheart, have you had a good night?" Mrs Hughes asked, pulling him up and onto her knee.

"We had lots of fun Ma! And Sybbie's Pa and Lord Gran-i-tham came," he explained.

"Did they?" Mrs Hughes smiled, thrilled for Mr Carson.

"Yep and Mr Barrow got me a pint … you should have seen the glass … it was really big!" he exclaimed.

"And did any of the men wobble?" the Housekeeper joked.

Charlie giggled ecstatically at that.

"Nope. Not one and I was watching!" he replied.

The women laughed.

"I am glad to hear it. We missed you here though, little tinker," Mrs Hughes said, kissing his cheek.

"We did indeed," Mrs Patmore added lovingly.

Charlie smiled brightly.

"I missed you too but Mr Molesley said that sometimes men need time on their own, without any girls around," he explained seriously.

"Did he now?" Mrs Patmore said, shaking her head with a grin. All of the women laughed, knowing that Mr Molesley was probably a bit tipsy when he said this.

"Yep but I told him that I like being with girls," Charlie replied just as honestly.

"That's my boy," Mrs Hughes said, resting her chin on his hair, as he leaned backwards against her.

"Oh … I almost forgot!" Charlie pronounced, twisting around on his Ma's knee to face her.

He reached upwards and gave his Ma a big kiss on the cheek.

"That's from Mr Carson. He said to give you a kiss from him and to tell you that he will see you in Church," Charlie explained proudly.

As the women in the room gave a collective 'ahh' at this sweet gesture, Mrs Hughes's eyes filled with emotion, as she hugged Charlie snugly, feeling truly blessed _._


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Ma, Ma it's the wedding day!" Charlie shrieked excitedly, climbing out of his bed and racing across to Mrs Hughes's bed.

He clambered onto his Ma's bed, kneeling at her side and patting her arm to wake her.

"Ma, are you awake?" he asked eagerly.

Mrs Hughes had been half-awake but she was certainly roused fully now.

"I am now! Charlie, it's still early," she gasped, tickling his side. He giggled happily as always.

She fleetingly looked across at the clock on her bedside table; it was only six o'clock and today, of all days, she was allowed to have a lie in.

"But you are getting married, Mr Carson is going to be my Pa," he explained, eyes shining brightly at his Ma.

The Housekeeper's heart melted once more.

"I know he is love and I'm sure he's bouncing around his bedroom with excitement too …" she smiled, still lying flat against her pillow.

Charlie beamed gloriously at that thought.

"Do you really think so?" he asked.

"Definitely. Now, come and have a snuggle and let your Ma sleep a little longer. We can't have the bride falling asleep in Church," she joked, grinning at her son.

Charlie nodded happily, snuggling under the covers and cuddling into his Ma's side. She soothed him back to sleep, stroking his hair and face. As she looked down at the little bundle of joy in her arms, she exhaled a deep, appreciative breath; knowing that she was so lucky to have Charlie and Mr Carson in her life. _This really is going to be the most wonderful day_.

######

Mr Carson sat on the edge of his bed; feeling full of happy anticipation and nerves. He knew he should lie in bed a while longer but he had been awake for hours, a whirl of eager thoughts running through his mind, and so he decided that he may as well get up and perhaps go for a stroll. He hoped that some fresh air may calm him a little. _Today is the day you will marry Elsie Hughes, the woman you love with all of your heart. And if that isn't wonderful enough, you will also become Charlie's father; a blessing you never even dreamed was possible._ This truly incredible thought would not leave him; he was overwhelmed that today he would gain a beautiful wife and a darling son. He was the happiest of men.

Just as he was about to rise from his bed to get dressed he heard squeals of joy from the other side of the wall; the wall that divided the Butler's and Housekeeper's bedrooms. Mr Carson rumbled with laughter, knowing that Mrs Hughes wasn't getting any sleep either but it was a little monkey that was keeping her awake, rather than her own thoughts.

######

"Here we are, tea for the bride and milk for the little monkey," Mrs Patmore exclaimed, as she walked across to the bed.

Mrs Hughes and Charlie were already sitting up against the headboard, chatting away together; having slept for an extra hour or so before rising properly. It was only a small bed but the two just managed to fit, side by side.

"And some porridge and toast," the Cook added, laying the tray carefully on the Housekeeper's lap.

Charlie's eyes lit up.

"We get to eat in bed? In my pyjamas?" he asked animatedly. They had never done this before.

"Well, it's a special day. I thought it might be nice. And your Ma can't see Mr Carson remember," she smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs Patmore, that's lovely," Mrs Hughes smiled.

"And there's a pot of honey for you little tinker, I know you like it on your porridge," she added.

"Thank you, Mrs Patmore," Charlie cheered.

"You are welcome tuppence. Now, I'll leave you both in peace and we'll come back in half an hour," the Cook explained.

"We?" Mrs Hughes asked.

"Yes, Anna, Miss Baxter and me. We are going to dress the bride … we all want to help," Mrs Patmore explained fondly.

"I want to help too!" Charlie said eagerly, as he spooned a huge spoonful of porridge into his mouth.

The two women laughed at his enthusiasm.

"We'll let you do your Ma's hair then," Mrs Patmore joked.

"Ooh yes!" he mumbled, with his mouth still full.

Mrs Patmore laughed cheerfully as she winked at the pair and walked out of the room.

######

"How are you feeling?"

Mr Carson spun around, having not realised there was anyone else around.

"Oh Milady. Good morning. I am feeling well thank you, very well in fact … if a little nervous," he admitted, smiling at the young woman.

They both stood by the great oak tree, the vast grounds of Downton Abbey surrounding them.

"Everyone gets nervous on their wedding day," she smiled, a fleeting pain in her heart as she remembered her own special day.

Mr Carson noticed this flash of hurt, and smiled at Lady Mary sympathetically. She smiled bravely, determined to remain positive for him.

"I am so happy for you," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, Milady. That means a lot to me," he replied earnestly.

"You'll have your own family," she added.

"I will," he stated proudly.

Lady Mary was touched by the delight in his voice.

"Have you always loved Mrs Hughes Carson?" she asked.

It was unlike her to ask such a personal question of her greatest supporter; however, she couldn't seem to help the question passing her lips.

Mr Carson was surprised by the question but happy to answer it.

"Yes. I didn't admit it, even to myself, of course, but I know now that I have loved Mrs Hughes for a very long time. She is most certainly my better half and she makes me very happy," he said honestly.

"And she loves you very much, that much is clear … and you have Charlie. He seems like a charming boy," she said kindly.

"Oh he is. He is an absolute delight. We love him very much," he returned.

Mr Carson was beginning to blush a little; realising how soppy he sounded.

Lady Mary was greatly affected, seeing her stoic confidante talking so lovingly about his wife-to-be and new son. She too was aware that she sounded very sentimental, not something she was used to.

"I wish you every happiness Carson. You deserve it more than anyone," she finished genuinely, reaching up to kiss his cheek, before turning back towards the House.

The Butler watched as she disappeared into the distance, a soft smile on his lips.

######

"Ma, you look pretty!" Charlie said sweetly.

The women in the room smiled tenderly at him. Anna and Miss Baxter had done a fine job with the bride's dress, altered especially for the Housekeeper from an 'off the peg' dress that Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore had chosen on a trip to Ripon. It was a pale pink colour with a long flowing skirt, with decorative ribbing around the chest and then overlain with a fitted jacket, cinched with a belt at the waist and decorated with lace. The sleeves were three quarters in length. Mrs Hughes looked elegant yet understated; very fitting for a mature bride. Her hair was a looser style than normal and she wore a matching silk hat, trimmed with lace. A little rouge, eye colour and lip sheen had also been added. She looked beautiful.

"Why thank you, young man. You look very handsome yourself," she returned, bussing his cheek.

Charlie looked as proud as he could be as he stood in his very smart new tweed suit and tie. He had even visited Mr Carson who had added a little pomade to Charlie's hair to make it very sleek and smart for this special occasion. The little boy kept touching his hair and giggling at how funny it felt! He was also thrilled to be wearing a dab of Mr Carson's cologne; he felt immensely grown up.

"You both look absolutely wonderful, Mr Carson is going to be overcome when he sees the pair of you," Mrs Patmore said, tears welling in her eyes.

"Let's hope so, well … we are all set I think," Mrs Hughes breathed, feeling butterflies in her tummy as she reached out to take Charlie's hand in hers.

The young boy had proved a welcome distraction all morning and she was comforted to have him at her side on this special day.

"Time to get married?" Anna asked, a broad smile on her face.

"I think so," Mrs Hughes said, a wobble in her voice as the emotion of the day overtook her.

Miss Baxter, Anna and Mrs Patmore all smiled warmly at the Housekeeper and Charlie.

"Let's go!" Charlie chimed.

######

The other woman had taken their places at the front of the Church; a clear sign to Mr Carson that his fiancée had arrived. The organ began to play, as the scraping of pews could be heard; everyone standing to welcome the bride.

Mr Carson stood at the front of the Church, Mr Bates at his side. He was desperate to turn around but he knew he should wait a little longer. It was the collective 'awww' from the congregation that made him turn, his eyes overflowing with tears as he gazed at his stunning, joyous bride and the excited, spirited little boy holding her hand, as they walked down the aisle.

 ** _A/N: Thank you so much to all of those who review regularly. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your support. Reviews are the thing that spur me on to keep writing and, therefore once reviews begin to drop, I will happily bring this little fic to a close x_**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

 ** _A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews for the last chapter. I appreciate them all very much and I will keep this fic going for a while longer. Although, it is getting much longer than I planned- I never envisioned it would take me over 30 chapters to get to the wedding! Thanks again x_**

As Mrs Hughes and Charlie walked down the aisle, Mr Carson's eyes filled with tears. His fiancée and the little boy looked so happy and he knew this happiness was certainly reflected in him. About half way down the aisle, Charlie looked up at his Ma and gave her the broadest, most excited grin. Mrs Hughes replied with a beautiful smile of her own, scrunching her face in exaggerated glee to make Charlie giggle. The little boy was virtually skipping at her side. They both then turned once more to the Butler, offering him the warmest of expressions, as he gulped to try to swallow down his emotion. Mr Carson caught the gaze of his fiancée and she smiled tenderly at him. He returned her gaze adoringly; both understanding the others meaning.

 _I love you Charles._

 _I love you Elsie._

As Mrs Hughes and Charlie neared the front of the Church, the Family on the right and the Downstairs staff on the left all beamed brightly at the Housekeeper and the little boy. Charlie walked at his Ma's side, looking as proud as a peacock. Mr Carson no longer noticed the congregation of friends, employers and associates that filled the Church; his attention solely focused on the two most special people in his life.

As they finally reached him, Mr Carson held out his hand for Mrs Hughes and she gladly took it.

 _"_ _You look beautiful,"_ he whispered, as the Housekeeper squeezed his large fingers between hers in response to his compliment.

Mrs Hughes then let go of Charlie's hand and instead wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him closely to her side. She lowered her face to kiss his forehead.

"Well done my love, you did wonderfully well," she whispered, as Charlie grinned even more proudly.

Mr Carson then also lowered his head to speak to the little boy.

"I can't thank you enough for bringing your Ma to me Charlie. She may have got lost without you!" Mr Carson joked.

The little boy laughed blissfully, as did Mrs Hughes. The Housekeeper shaking her head warmly at her daft but darling pair.

No-one else in the Church could hear their little chat but there were soppy smiles all round as they watched Charlie giggle happily; everyone knew that something had amused him.

Mr Carson also then kissed Charlie's forehead, with many in the Church amazed by this loving gesture from the Butler. Mr Carson was so focused on his little family that he didn't notice the surprised expressions of some.

"Time for you to go and sit with Mrs Patmore love, and we'll see you at the end of the service, alright?" Mrs Hughes asked.

"Alright Ma," Charlie said, nodding cheerfully.

Mrs Hughes gently guided him with her arm as he stepped across to Mrs Patmore, who welcomed him with open arms. He clambered up and onto her knee, in prime position at the front of the Church. She cuddled him to her. Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson laughed lightly at their little bundle of energy and then turned back to each other, both exhaling a long, steadying breath as the Reverend began.

 _In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,  
we have come together  
to witness the marriage of Mr Charles Edward Carson and Miss Elsie May Hughes,  
to pray for God's blessing on them,  
to share their joy  
and to celebrate their love …_

######

As the couple moved through their vows, they both became quite overcome; Mrs Hughes's voice soft and light as the emotions seeped through every word and Mr Carson's deep rumbling tones wavering at times, as the magnitude of the words and their meaning affected him greatly. Never had any couple meant the words more _; to love, honour and cherish till death us do part_. Tears glistened in their eyes as they spoke these words of love to one another. It had taken them so long to get to this point and their marriage was all the more special because of it.

Every so often, the high emotion would be beautifully broken, as they heard a gasp of excitement or a mumble from Charlie, who was watching every word, every nuance, with bated breath. This made the couple smile delightedly; helping the pair to gather themselves enough to continue.

######

As Mrs Hughes gazed at the Butler, standing beside her at the front of the Church, she wondered what she had ever done to be so blessed. Not four months ago, she was a spinster Housekeeper, content in her work and accepting of the fact that the Head of Staff would only ever be her friend and colleague; and if you'd asked her if she would ever have a child, she would have scoffed, certain that this incredible joy and privilege had passed her by. Yet here she was, about to marry the man she loved and with a beautiful son who completed their wonderful family. She felt true happiness as she turned towards the handsome, kind and loving man before her, as he gently placed the gold ring on her finger. She smiled tenderly at him, laughing lightly at herself as she softly brushed away a tear that had escaped. _I love this man with all of my heart._

######

Mr Carson became lost in the deep blue eyes of the Housekeeper as the Reverend said the final prayers. He had never felt such joy, such overwhelming unadulterated joy. He had plodded through life, a life of service, with little thought to his own wishes or dreams. He had been content, proud even, to serve a distinguished and respectable family like the Crawleys. Yet now he realised that his life had only truly begun on the day the enchanting Elsie Hughes walked into his life. She was his true partner in every sense, first as colleagues and now as soulmates. She made him a better man and she loved him unconditionally. _She has given me everything; her love and a son to cherish. I love her so deeply._ He reached for her hand at his side, gently touching her fingers to reassure himself that this was real. He had never felt happier or more at peace.

######

 _I now pronounce you man and wife together._

Eight words that signalled the start of their beautiful new life together. Mr Carson and Mrs Carson turned to face one another; eyes only for each other. Mr Carson placed one hand delicately on his wife's waist, the other respectfully holding her shoulder, as he stepped closer to her. She rested one hand on his arm, as the other gently touched his chest. His head lowered, as she reached upwards and their lips gently brushed; a soft and respectable kiss full of love and promise. They both smiled at each other soppily, their faces still very close and their love for one another clear.

As Mrs Carson was about to step back, her new husband surprised her by placing another tender kiss to her lips. She smiled against his lips, thrilled with his response. The Housekeeper's heart leapt further as she heard the excited clapping of the little boy behind her, as Mr Carson rumbled with laughter against her lips. They broke apart, although Mr Carson kept a protective hand lightly touching her waist, as they both turned to Charlie, bright smiles on their faces.

"Come here sweetheart," Mrs Carson exclaimed, as she beamed gloriously at her little boy.

He jumped down from the Cook's knee, running into the open arms of his Ma, as she leaned down and cuddled him to her, placing sweet kisses to his hair. She stroked Charlie's face before stepping backwards to allow Mr Carson to hug the little boy. The Butler swept him off the floor, as Charlie wrapped his arms around the Butler's neck, hugging him tightly. Mr Carson, held him in one arm as he held his wife at her waist with his other hand.

"We love you son," Mr Carson whispered, only loud enough for his wife and Charlie to hear.

"Yes we do," Mrs Carson breathed, her eyes filling with tears once more, stroking Charlie's back as he remained cuddled against Mr Carson. Mr Carson kissed his wife's temple, pulling her more closely to his side.

All eyes were upon the three and yet they had almost forgotten they weren't alone; cocooned in the warmth of their new family.

Charlie leaned backwards in Mr Carson's arms.

"I love you too Ma and Pa!" he cheered excitedly, as Mr Carson gasped on hearing these precious words and his wife gave up all hope of stopping her tears from falling.

The three stood in a huddle at the front of the Church, tears falling freely as they held each other. _A family at last._


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Can I shake their hands too?" Charlie asked, bouncing up and down at his Ma's side, as they arrived at the School Hall.

Mr Carson had just been explaining to him the notion of a welcoming line to greet the guests. The Butler and Housekeeper both chuckled at Charlie's spark.

"You certainly can. I am sure our guests will be delighted to shake the hand of our little tinker," Mrs Carson soothed, stroking his hair. She was rewarded with a beautiful smile from her son.

As the guests arrived and gave their best wishes to Mr and Mrs Carson, it added a rather special and welcoming note to also be greeted by the lovely four year old boy. Mr Barrow, Anna and Mr Bates, Miss Baxter and Mr Molesley all happily made a fuss of him, as he stood between his Ma and Pa. Mrs Patmore made Charlie giggle as she demanded a hug as well as a handshake; he consented gladly, very fond of the Cook.

As His Lordship and the Family approached, Mr Carson realised they had an issue. It was not proper for Mr Carson and Mrs Carson to shake hands with the Family and the Butler, particularly, was a stickler for propriety and tradition. The issue was that they couldn't now explain this protocol to Charlie; the Butler therefore hoped that Charlie would simply take his lead and not shake hands.

Lord Grantham made a lovely comment about the Service as he stood opposite Mr Carson, smiling broadly at the newly married couple and their son. Lady Grantham also joined the group, as her husband moved down the welcoming line to stand in front of Mrs Carson. All naturally kept their hands to their sides as they chatted amiably.

"Pa, you've forgotten to shake Lord Gran-i-tham's hand," Charlie exclaimed with a smile, amused that this had happened.

The little boy excitedly held out his hand to His Lordship, feeling proud that he had not forgotten to do this.

Mr Caron took a sharp intake of breath and was about to try to explain, whilst Mrs Carson put one arm around Charlie, about to gently pull him back. However, Lord Grantham saved the day, cheerfully reaching out to shake the hand of the little boy.

"What are us men like Charlie, forgetting to shake hands … thank goodness you remembered," His Lordship offered kindly.

Charlie grinned from ear to ear, looking up at his Pa with a wry smile as if to say, _Honestly Pa, fancy you forgetting that!_ Mrs Carson laughed warmly as she noted her little boy's expression, with Mr Carson jokingly ruffling Charlie's hair at his cheek.

"And congratulations again Carson, Mrs Carson," His Lordship said, holding out his hand to the Butler, followed by the Housekeeper.

Lord Grantham gave them both a sincere, delighted smile, hoping to reassure them that all was well, better than well in fact; the little boy had refreshingly reminded them that they were all the same people really, when all was said and done.

The Butler was too stunned to even reply at first, as he coughed to clear his throat whilst shaking the Lordship's proffered hand and finally mumbling a 'thank you Milord.' The Housekeeper did the same, a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks at the unusual situation that had been brought about by their well-meaning little boy.

"Quite right," Her Ladyship added, shaking all three hands warmly as she walked down the line.

As Lord and Lady Grantham continued to walk into the school hall. Charlie said seriously under his breath,

 _"_ _Thank goodness I was here."_

His comment broke the tension as Mr and Mrs Carson laughed, feeling much relief that the potentially awkward moment was over, and reaching out to hold each other's hand. Mr Carson lowered his head and stole a chaste kiss to the lips from his new bride. As they kissed, their son stepped forward enthusiastically to see who was coming next, holding his arm out in anticipation.

######

"Ma, can I go outside and play with Sybbie? Mr Barrow said he would take us," Charlie asked eagerly.

"As long as Mr Barrow doesn't mind," she said, catching the eye of the Under-Butler just a few yards away. He gave her a big smile and a nod to give his support to the idea, he was very fond of Charlie and Miss Sybbie.

"Alright then. Be a good boy," she said, as Charlie was already half way across the hall.

 _"_ _Alone at last,"_ Mr Carson whispered, drawing his wife to his side.

She rested a hand on his chest, gazing up at her handsome husband.

"I am very happy Charles Carson," she breathed, closing her eyes as he kissed her temple lovingly.

"And I have never been happier, my love," he returned, resting his cheek against her hair, as they enjoyed a little moment of peace together.

######

"Look at the pair of them, happy as larks. It warms my heart," Mrs Patmore smiled, as she looked at her two best friends across the hall.

"Mine too. I'm so glad they are finally together," Anna added genuinely.

"I must say, I never thought Mr Carson had it in him!" Mr Bates noted dryly, prompting a good-humoured guffaw from Mrs Patmore, as Anna playfully hit his arm for his comment.

"Well I didn't, a few months ago, could you really see Mr Carson as a father and husband?" he asked honestly.

As he said this, Charlie raced back across the room and into the arms of his Ma and Pa. The Butler lifted him up, wiggling him in the air, before settling the little boy in his arms. Charlie smiled beautifully, kissing his Pa on the cheek and then reaching across to kiss his Ma. The scene was one of utter love and joy.

"No, I couldn't really … although I always knew that Mrs Carson would have made a wonderful mother … and look at them now. They both love Charlie so much," Anna smiled.

"Aye, they do at that," Mrs Patmore added fondly.

"And they love each other. It's so nice," Daisy added dreamily, as the others laughed at her soppy expression.

"You next then Daisy?" Anna teased, although they all knew that Daisy did not have a beau at present.

"Not for me. I am concentrating on my career and bettering myself," she responded seriously, her head held high as she headed to the drinks table.

"My my, what have we done with our little Daisy?" Mrs Patmore asked with a smile, delighted in fact that Daisy was developing into such a strong and capable young woman.

######

Mr and Mrs Carson and Charlie were now chatting affably to Mrs Crawley and Dr Clarkson. Charlie was still in the arms of his Pa but was now becoming increasingly tired following all of the excitement of the day. He rested his head on Mr Carson's shoulder, snuggling against his neck. Every so often during the conversation, the Butler placed a soft kiss to his hair and Mrs Carson stroked the little boy's back.

"Penny for them?" Mr Branson asked, as he stood across the school hall with Lady Mary.

She was gazing across to the Butler and Housekeeper.

"I was just thinking, I don't know Mrs Carson well at all," she explained.

"No, we'll she's not your favourite is she?" Mr Branson teased, knowing the soft spot his sister-in-law had for the Butler.

"No, she's yours," Lady Mary quipped back, knowing this to be true.

Mr Branson nodded in acceptance of that; he certainly wouldn't deny it.

"She's been an enormous support to me. She is a fine woman … kind, thoughtful and very wise," he said earnestly.

"They are very well-matched then," Lady Mary said, looking straight ahead at the couple.

Mr Branson grinned at that.

"Very well matched," he agreed.

######

"Right then little monkey, I want to dance with this pretty girl now and so why don't you go and sit with Mrs Patmore for a while, eh?" Mr Carson said, bending to speak to Charlie.

The little boy had woken up a little now. Charlie giggled at his Ma being described as a pretty girl, covering his mouth with his hands. Mrs Carson shook her head fondly at her two men, as she often did.

"Alright Pa …" he replied happily, hugging his Ma and darting across to the Cook.

"May I?" Mr Carson said, holding his hand out to his new wife.

This would be their first dance as a married couple.

"You certainly may," she returned lovingly, allowing her new husband to walk her into the centre of the makeshift dancefloor.

Mr Carson gave a nod to James at the side of the room, who placed another disc on the gramophone and a slow, romantic tune filled the air. There were other couples on the dancefloor too; the modest Butler and Housekeeper preferring this. They did not want to draw attention to themselves; they simply wanted to enjoy this moment in each other's arms. Little did they know that, despite the other people dancing, all eyes were all them, as they effortlessly glided around the room together, in sync as always. The Butler held his wife as close as was appropriate and both gazed deeply into the others eyes in a blissful haze of contentment. As the music slowed, their steps did too, until they stood in the centre of the floor, foreheads resting against each other, both reflecting that they had never felt happier.

As the music finally came to an end, an impromptu round of applause broke out around the school hall. The couple were broken from their trance, looking around the room in surprise at the many smiling faces gazing back at them, including the cheeky face of a delighted little boy. Mrs Carson smiled brightly at her husband, both feeling a little self-conscious under everyone's attention but very, very happy nonetheless. The Butler decided to throw caution to the wind as he lowered his face to softly yet meaningfully kiss his wife again. She smiled against his lips as he kissed her for a little longer than was proper, the applause continuing around the hall.

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update- it would be lovely to read your thoughts! Next chapter, Ma and Pa saying goodbye to Charlie and then the Carson's begin their honeymoon x_**


	35. Chapter 35

**_A/N: Hope you enjoy this update. Also, just to mention, as I know that many of you have been looking forward to the honeymoon, I won't be writing anything too risqué as it wouldn't be in keeping with the rest of this fic. Therefore, some things will have to be left to your own imagination! x_**

Chapter 35

"There now sweetheart. It's alright. It's just for two nights, we'll be back before you know it," Mrs Carson soothed, as she kneeled on the floor of her husband's pantry, hugging a sobbing Charlie to her.

"I don't want you to go Ma. I want you both to stay," he wept, hiccupping through his tears.

The Housekeeper had never known Charlie to be so hysterical but she fully understood why; he had lost his Mam and now he was terrified he was going to lose her and Mr Carson. He had no idea about the concept of a honeymoon. She had broached the topic of her and Mr Carson going away about a week ago but after she'd witnessed Charlie's worry and concern about this, she hadn't dared to mention it again. She didn't want it to dampen his excitement for the wedding.

"I know love but when two people get married, they always have a little break together and we've kept it nice and short because we are both going to miss you so much," she offered, still stroking his back and cuddling him closely.

They had organised the wedding service to be early in the day so that they could enjoy the reception and still leave for Whitby on the four o'clock train. They would stay for just two nights before returning to Downton.

Mr Carson stood behind Charlie, gazing at his wife and the little boy in desperation, not knowing what he could do to make this situation better. His heart felt like it was splitting in two as he watched Charlie weeping and his wife also in bits to see her little boy in this way.

"And Mrs Patmore, Mr Barrow and the others have all sorts of exciting things planned for you. Then when we get back, the three of us will be moving into our cottage, how exciting will that be, eh?" she asked, trying to stop her own tears from falling.

Mrs Carson felt wretched to be causing her son such distress. She could see that her own suffering was also matched by her husband's; the two shared constant worried glances with each other.

Mr Carson bent down to join his wife and son, kneeling on the floor and wrapping his arm around Charlie. The little boy continued to bury his face into his Ma's neck.

"Your Ma and I love you very much Charlie. And remember, the three of us are going to spend the rest of our lives together and so two days isn't long at all … it will pass by in the blink of an eye," Mr Carson added, his rumbling voice helping to soothe Charlie a little, along with the constant kisses and calming strokes of his Ma.

The little boy still held tight to his Ma but he did lift his head so that he could look at his Ma and Pa. His eyes were red and sore from crying. Mrs Carson kissed his hair.

"What if you don't come back?" he whispered, his voice wavering.

Mrs Carson felt a stabbing pain in her heart; this poor boy was terrified of losing them.

"Charlie, I promise with all of my heart that we will come back. Nothing is going to happen to your Pa or I. We will be back in two days, I promise. And you know that I never ever ever lie, hmm?" Mrs Carson said, smiling at the little boy and trying to make him smile too.

He nodded silently, knowing that his Ma never lied. His eyes looked a little more hopeful.

Mrs Patmore walked slowly into the room at this point, standing silently to one side; she knew that Mr and Mrs Carson had to leave imminently if they were to going to catch their train.

"You are going to have a lovely time when we are away. Mrs Patmore is so looking forward to spending time with you and she's very excited to be sleeping in my lovely cosy bed!" the Housekeeper joked, eliciting a small smile from Charlie.

"Ooh I am. We'll be able to have such an adventure Charlie, I plan to bring us a picnic up to bed tonight. Our little secret," the Cook whispered, pretending that no-one else in the room could hear. She winked at him.

His smile brightened further.

"And I happen to know that Mrs Patmore has a lovely chocolate cake baking in the oven as we speak. I can smell chocolate cake from a mile away and this one smells delicious!" Mr Carson added, wiggling his eyebrows as both he and his wife continued to stroke Charlie's back.

Charlie smiled again.

"And tomorrow Mr Barrow is going to take you to the Lake to see the ducks. Then Mrs Patmore and Daisy have planned a special afternoon tea for you and Miss Sybbie," Mrs Carson added.

She was relieved to see that the tears were starting to dry and her son was looking more and more relaxed.

"And then I thought we could make toffee apples tomorrow night," Mrs Patmore added.

"Toffee apples? Like you get at the fair?" Charlie asked in amazement.

"Just like that. And we'll save two for your Ma and Pa for when they get back," the Cook added kindly.

Charlie nodded excitedly.

"And then the day after that, we'll be coming home. You'll hardly even have time to miss us," Mr Carson grinned, bussing Charlie's cheek, as the little boy smiled too.

"Feeling better now love?" Mrs Carson dared, still holding her precious little boy tight.

"Yes Ma," he smiled, nodding more confidently.

"Ooh and we forgot to tell you about one more surprise," she exclaimed, hoping this idea would excite him even more.

"What?" he asked, eyes wide.

"You see that funny thing on your Pa's desk," the Housekeeper said, pointing to the telephone.

"Yes … it's a telly ... phone … Pa told me," he said proudly, as Mr Carson patted his head to say well done.

Mrs Carson beamed at the pair of them; Mr Carson had already taught Charlie so much.

"And do you know what it does?" his Ma asked.

"Yep! A long, long, long string goes all of the way to London … and Pa can then talk to people miles and miles away … from this room!" he added enthusiastically.

Charlie hadn't believed this was possible when the Butler first explained this to him but then the telephone had rung whilst he'd been in the room, and he'd watched his Pa talk to someone at the other end. It was like magic!

"That's right love … and there's one of those long strings all of the way to Whitby too, so as a special treat, we are going to telephone you tomorrow night. Imagine that!" the Housekeeper said exaggeratedly, watching as Charlie's face lit up with awe.

"I will get to speak to you? Even though you aren't here?" he asked excitedly, his mouth hanging open.

"You will. You can tell us all about your day," Mr Carson explained further.

The Housekeeper had worried that her suggestion about a telephone call to Charlie was too extravagant but the Butler had immediately agreed, both knew that this separation would be incredibly difficult for Charlie and they hoped this might help.

Charlie bounced up and down, a big grin on his face. Mr and Mrs Carson shared a relieved and joyous gaze, knowing now that their son was now much happier and calmer and they could head off on their honeymoon feeling much happier themselves.

######

"Charles this is beautiful," Mrs Carson said, as soon as the bell boy had closed the door.

The young man had brought their luggage up to their suite overlooking the small harbour.

"I hoped you'd like it love. You deserve so much more of course but this is the nicest hotel that Whitby has to offer. One day I'll take you someone more swish in London," he added modestly, as he hung both his and his wife's coats and hats on the coat stand by the door.

"Charles, this is simply wonderful. It's perfect," she breathed, as she looked around the well apportioned suite. The furnishings were beautiful and very well made and there was a separate sitting area, away from the bedroom.

She gulped, not wishing to focus on the bedroom just yet. She felt her heart begin to race. As upsetting as their goodbye with Charlie had been, it had at least distracted her from what was to come this evening. However, she could think of little else now. She really did not know quite what to expect and she felt ridiculous all of a sudden, to be a woman of her age with so little experience in these matters.

"And look at this bath … what a treat!" she added, trying to direct her attentions to something else.

She had glimpsed the large bath tub through the open door to the bathroom; it was far more luxurious than anything she had ever experienced.

"And the view …" she said as she walked across to the large bay window, knowing she was rambling a little now, her nerves were beginning to take hold.

Her husband simply silently stood on the spot, watching his wife as she appraised every aspect of the suite. He could see that she was nervous and it actually warmed his heart to see the usually composed and sensible Housekeeper all of a flutter. He slowly walked across the room to join her, standing behind her and gently resting his hands on both of her shoulders.

"It's alright love … I am feeling a little nervous too," he soothed, kissing her hair.

She closed her eyes tightly shut on hearing his words; what impression must she be making if her Butler was having to steady her.

She reached up to hold one of his hands at her shoulder, finding comfort in his calm and warm touch.

"I feel so silly Charles. A woman of my age, all of a tither," she whispered, still looking straight ahead at the little fishing boats bobbing around in water and the people going for an evening stroll around the harbour.

"Well then I must be silly too, as I've have butterflies in my tummy since we stepped off the train," he added self-deprecatingly.

She turned to face him, a beautiful smile on her lips, as his arms now slipped to her sides. She rested her hands on his chest.

"Have you really Charles? Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?" she asked, gazing at him tenderly. She really didn't mind at all if it was the latter; she had married a kind and considerate man either way.

They had never spoken about this matter in any depth of course, however the Housekeeper was certain that Mr Carson would have some experience in this area, whereas she had none, other than a few fumbled kisses with one or two lads in her past.

"Elsie, this is a significant step for us. I hope it isn't too indelicate for me to say that I have been very much looking forward to this evening … uh-hum … but I am also very nervous," he said, blushing furiously and hoping he hadn't gone too far.

She smiled at her husband sweetly.

"I have been looking forward to this too Charles," she breathed softly, looking at his chest, rather than his face. She couldn't quite look him in the eyes as she made this confession.

The Butler suddenly felt very flushed; he had hoped his new wife would be looking forward to this precious part of marriage as much as he was but to hear her actually admit to this was an altogether different notion.

He closed his eyes for a second or two, willing himself to keep calm. He still held her sides lightly. They stood for a few more seconds gently holding one another, neither speaking. They were both unsure quite how to progress.

"How about we both get freshened up and into our night clothes Charles, hmm? You can open that lovely bottle of Margaux that you brought and we can have a glass to help us relax," she eventually suggested, smiling beautifully at her husband.

As he gazed into her mesmerising blue eyes, he knew that he loved this wonderful woman with all of his heart.

"Perfect," he whispered, lowering his face and kissing his wife eagerly.

The low, contented tone of his wife's murmur against his lips, almost making him come undone. He pulled back, knowing that they needed to take this slowly.

"Go on then my love, you go in the bathroom first and I'll unpack our cases," he said quite breathlessly, as she reached up on tiptoes and gave him one more soft kiss to the lips. This time it was the Butler who murmured a small, unintelligible noise.

######

They were sitting side by side on the small sofa, both in their night clothes and dressing gowns, contentedly sipping their wine and sharing reminiscences of their lovely wedding day. They both felt at ease; this is what they had done for many years after all, discussing the day's events together over a sherry or a wine, although not usually in their night clothes and most certainly not with a bedroom in sight.

Mr Carson's arm had dropped from his wife's shoulder to her waist, as he caressed her back and side gently through the soft material of her dressing gown. She rested against him, her head on his shoulder. A gentle shift in atmosphere was clear, as they both neared the end of their glass of wine. The Butler had already decided that he would let his wife lead; he did not want to rush her or make her feel uncomfortable in any way. However, as she finished her glass of wine and rested the empty glass on the small coffee table in front of them, she said nothing.

"Would you like … umm … more wine Elsie?" he stumbled.

She took a long breath, knowing that she needed to take the next step. Her husband was a gentleman and she knew he would never suggest this, he was letting her set the pace.

"I would like to go to bed Charles, if that is agreeable with you?" she offered, sounding far more formal than she had intended; the nerves had most certainly returned.

"Yes, uh huh … yes … of course," he mumbled in reply.

He helped her up from the sofa and moved the wine and glasses to the sideboard. She switched off the main lamp in the sitting area. They both then slowly walked through to the bedroom, Mrs Carson biting her lip and Mr Carson wringing his neck as he walked behind her. _Stay calm Charles, for heaven's sake,_ he told himself. Mrs Carson paused at the end of the bed.

"You choose which side?" he offered, reading her thoughts.

She turned briefly, smiling at him.

"I think I'll take the side near the window," she replied happily.

"Good, good," he replied, quite solemnly.

The Housekeeper bit her lip again to stop herself chuckling. They were both behaving a little ridiculously but it was rather endearing.

"Let's turn down the bed," she suggested, thinking that they may never get into the bed at this rate.

He nodded and helped her turn down the bed covers. They both now stood in their dressing gowns gazing down at the bed. They caught each other's gaze, both looked stricken with nerves and yet there was an undeniable anticipation in the air.

"We are behaving like two old boobies!" she offered, to try to break the tension.

On hearing the term, Mr Carson bellowed with laughter.

"We are! This will never do. Let's get into bed!" he cheered, both feeling relieved that the atmosphere had lightened.

They both took off their dressing gowns and climbed into bed. Mrs Carson happily pulled the covers over her, settling them just above her waist and resting her head against the pillow, before turning to her husband. She found that the Butler now had an entirely different look on his face as he gazed across at her, a look she had only ever seen glimpses of before. She suddenly realised that she was wearing her gift from Mrs Patmore and the other downstairs ladies and she immediately blushed; her gown was rather revealing and delicate. She covered her cheeks with both hands to hide her blush, biting her lip again as she looked at him.

"It was gift … from Mrs Patmore. I wouldn't usually …" she began.

"You look wonderful," he rumbled, his voice even lower than normal, as he reached across, resting an arm across her stomach, his hand at her waist.

He leaned over her but made sure to keep his full weight off her.

"Beautiful," he murmured, firstly kissing both hands that were still at her face, and then placing a kiss to her nose, making her laugh. He grinned mischievously at her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her husband down for a slow, languid kiss. One of his hands caressed her face and neck, the other winding firmly around her back, pulling her closer. As they kissed, he took her by surprise, rolling them both over without warning so that she lay on top of his chest, as both his hands traced up and down her back, tracing the curve of her spine, before daring to caress a little lower. The silk gown and his wife's softness beneath, felt simply divine.

"Umm … my handsome Butler," she murmured, as he grinned against her lips.

He pushed her backwards once again, their kisses growing bolder, yet neither in any hurry as they enjoyed caressing and touching each other, blissful in each other's arms.

Eventually, night clothes were discarded and their touches became more urgent, as Mr and Mrs Carson became man and wife in the most cherished way, worshipping each other as they had promised before God.

They both lay naked in each other's arms, feeling treasured and content. Mrs Carson lay across her husband's chest, her breath tickling his skin, as he traced soft, loving patterns on her back. His face rested against her hair, a smile on his lips as he felt her gently kiss his chest, just above his heart.

"Night Charles," she whispered blissfully.

"Night my love."

 ** _A/N: A little review would be lovely if you have time! x_**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

His wife began to stir in his arms, as he smiled down at her; he had been gazing at her for the last hour, not wanting to wake her and simply enjoying the wonderful feeling of holding his love in his arms.

"Morning Elsie," he whispered, kissing her temple.

"Umm … morning Charles," she breathed sleepily.

Despite being only half awake she instinctively reached upwards to place a gentle, sleepy kiss to his lips.

"Have you been awake long?" she murmured, beginning to fully wake.

"Not long," he smiled, a loving white lie as he kissed her lips again.

As they broke from their kiss, she sat up a little on the pillows beside her husband, making sure to pull the covers up with her. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed to be lying in bed absolutely naked, as she tucked the covers tightly under her arms. The Butler grinned at her.

She shook her head at him warmly, her cheeks blushing. She knew she had amused him.

"Well, I'm not used to this, am I?" she asked mock-seriously, before biting her lip and laughing at herself.

He wrapped his arm more tightly around her, pulling his wife into his side.

"Neither am I but I'm looking forward to getting used to it," he responded cheekily, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Charles Carson what has come over you?" she exclaimed happily, thrilled when her new husband kissed her soundly in reply.

######

They had enjoyed breakfast in their room and despite plans to go for a walk around town after breakfast, they had become pleasantly distracted and fallen happily into bed once again. The Butler nipped out of bed to pour them both a glass of water from the jug on the side table and, as he walked back across the bedroom clad only in his undershorts and with his hair ruffled, Mrs Carson smiled from ear to ear.

"I never imagined I would see the Butler of Downton Abbey in such disarray," she teased, as he got back under the covers.

"Ahh … but I am not the Butler of Downton Abbey when I'm alone with you, I am your husband," he grinned, kissing her bare shoulder.

Mrs Carson smiled tenderly at that thought.

"There'll be no leisurely lie-ins with our little monkey around," she grinned warmly.

Mr Carson chuckled.

"No chance!" he added.

They both smiled blissfully, thinking of their sweet boy.

"I hope Charlie is alright," she said, suddenly feeling a little anxious.

"He will be love. He'll be having a wonderful time and they'll all be spoiling him rotten," he reassured.

"I've never seen him so upset Charles. I can't wait to telephone him tonight. It probably sounds silly but I've missed him," she admitted.

They hadn't even been away from the little boy for a full day yet, however she had truly missed him. She was used to always having Charlie with her now or certainly having him close by.

"It's not silly at all. He's our son. I've missed him too," the Butler admitted sincerely.

Mrs Carson melted at his words, reaching up to cup his face.

"You are going to be the most wonderful father Charles," she beamed, tears in her eyes.

The Butler felt choked, his own eyes glistening as he gazed at his lovely wife and reflected about their new family.

"And a good husband I hope?" he joked, to try to banish his own emotions.

"Well, you are already that ..." she responded flirtatiously, hugging her husband tightly as they burst into laughter, falling back against the pillows.

######

"Ma, is that you?" the sweet little voice asked from the other end of the line.

"It is love. It's so good to hear you. I've missed you so much," she said, with her husband holding her hand tightly to give her strength; he could see that his wife was feeling quite overcome to finally hear her son after a day apart.

They both sat in the booth in the hotel lobby.

"I've missed you too Ma but Mrs Patmore let me have your blanket on my bed last night, she said it was like you were right there with me, giving me a hug," he explained.

Mrs Carson bit her lip to stop herself weeping at his sweet words. She also sent a prayer of thanks up to heaven, grateful to have such a wonderful best friend taking care of her son.

"Oh that's lovely Charlie. And have you had a nice day?" she asked.

"Yep! Mrs Patmore made me egg and soldiers for breakfast and then I went to the lake with Mr Barrow and Daisy made us biscuits to take with us and then Mr Molesley did three jigsaws with me and then we made toffee apples. I wrapped two especially for you and Pa, they taste yummy!" he explained; a whoosh of words without taking a breath.

Mrs Carson laughed happily, despite her watery eyes, as she heard the excitement bubbling out of him.

"Well that is wonderful, aren't you a lucky boy? You make sure to thank everyone now, won't you?" she added.

"I have Ma and I've been a good boy, I even helped Mrs Patmore with dinner," he explained.

"Did you now?" she asked in amusement, wondering what on earth he had done to help.

"Yep. She said I'm a good Cook!" he added.

Mrs Carson giggled, shaking her head fondly.

"Excellent. You can make mine and your Pa's breakfast at the cottage every day then," she teased.

"Ma, I can't do that … I'm only little," he said, chuckling at her silly idea.

"Oh well. I'll do breakfast then. Now, I'm guessing you might like to speak to your Pa?" she asked, feeling much happier now, having spoken to Charlie.

"Ooh yes!" he exclaimed loudly.

Even the Butler sitting beside his wife heard this response. He took the phone from the Housekeeper.

"Well hello there little monkey!" he bellowed.

"Pa! I can hear you!" Charlie replied enthusiastically.

"I should hope so. I have a very loud voice!" he joked, making Charlie giggle at the other end.

Mrs Carson watched blissfully, as her husband and son continued to chat lovingly. When the couple eventually had to say goodbye to the little boy, both felt joyful and more at ease, knowing Charlie was safe and well.

"We'll see you tomorrow evening then Charlie. We love you," Mrs Carson said, having taken the phone back from her husband to say a final goodbye.

"Love you too. Night Ma. Night Pa," he said cheerfully, none of the upset of yesterday's separation evident.

"Night son, god bless," Mr Carson replied, replacing the telephone on its stand as he kissed his wife's cheek; he could see how relieved and happy she felt.

"Would you accompany me for an evening stroll around the harbour Mrs Carson?" he said formally, standing and offering his arm to his wife; a twinkle in his eyes.

"It will be my pleasure, Mr Carson," she returned tenderly, taking his arm.

######

They sat on a bench overlooking the small harbour and at the top of the hill, overlooking the water, they could see Whitby Abbey. There were a few other people milling about, frequenting the small restaurants and public houses around the harbour. They had decided to have fish and chips instead, enjoy eating them as they sat by the water.

"They were lovely," the Housekeeper said contentedly.

"Mmm … they were. Nothing nicer than fish and chips! Although I wish you'd let me take you somewhere nice," he said, smiling at his wife who enjoyed simple pleasures.

"And what could be nicer than having fish and chips sitting beside my husband?" she asked genuinely.

He reached downward and placed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Charles! We are in public," she gasped, although he could tell by her smile that she wasn't really displeased.

"A couple are allowed to steal a kiss whilst on honeymoon, surely?" he asked mischievously.

 _What has come over my man?_ she reflected happily.

"Perhaps a young couple but we are ancient!" she joshed.

"I may be ancient but you, my dear, are a beautiful young bride in my eyes," he said, daring to kiss her on the lips again.

She shook her head warmly, linking his arm and snuggling against his side as they sat on the bench.

The Butler had made her feel very young and carefree during their honeymoon. Their time alone together in Whitby had been brief but just what they'd both needed. They had spent time together, just the two of them, getting to know one another on a more intimate level. They had shared much deeper affection than ever before. Whilst they were still treading a new path and experiencing new things together, they were at ease in each other's company, whether that be in public or in the privacy of their bedroom.

"Shall we get an ice cream before we head back to the hotel?" Mr Carson asked his wife; his face as excited as Charlie's would have been at this suggestion.

Mrs Carson laughed gloriously.

"Yes let's!" she replied with a smile.

######

Mrs Carson was currently being kissed in a not altogether gentlemanly manner by her husband, as they stood on the steps of the Servant's entrance. She giggled against his lips as she realised how improper this was, yet she was not able to stop herself kissing him back just as zealously.

"Charles, someone could come out and see us," she murmured, as his lips traced a path along her jawline to her neck.

"We'll hear them Els. We'll have time to jump apart … and it's starting to get dark," he breathed seriously, as she laughed loudly at his words.

"What has become of my Butler?" she asked, a beaming smile on her face as she rested her forehead against his.

His breathing had hastened as he gave her a mischievous, crooked smile.

"I've told you, he's your devoted husband now … your husband who wants to kiss you one last time, before we go inside and get overrun by an excited little boy!" he explained, nuzzling his nose against hers.

She held his face in both hands, drawing his lips down to hers as she whispered,

 _"_ _Come here then."_

######

Charlie's eyes opened wide in anticipation, as he looked firstly at Mrs Patmore and then at the doorway to the Servant's Hall. He was sitting with the Cook and Anna, drawing a picture for his parents for when they returned. He had heard a noise from the corridor. _Could it be them?_ He then heard a second noise; the familiar sound of his Ma's laughter. _It was them!_

He dived off his chair, his colouring pencils shooting all over the table, as he dashed at lightning speed to the entrance of the Servant's corridor.

"Ma!" he cried as he spotted her. He then ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, towards the Housekeeper.

"Charlie!" she gasped, kneeling on the floor with arms outstretched.

His expression of pure joy was something Mrs Carson would never ever forget. Tears welled in her eyes as he raced towards her; within seconds he was in her arms and hugging her tightly.

"Oh Charlie, I've missed you love," she said, as she kissed his hair and cuddled him closely.

"I missed you Ma. I'm so glad you are back!" he exclaimed, having never felt happier.

She kissed his face one more time and then leaned back and nodded towards the Butler with a wink.

"Pa!" Charlie gasped, as Mr Carson picked him up off the floor, hugging the little boy to his chest.

"I missed you Pa," he added.

"And I've missed you Charlie. Very much," he replied lovingly, wrapping one arm around his wife whilst still holding his son in the air.

The little boy and Mrs Carson both rested their heads on the Butler's chest. Mr Carson kissed his wife's temple softly, followed by a kiss to his son's hair. All blissfully happy to be together again.

 ** _A/N: I hope you enjoyed this update. I am afraid I won't be able to update for the next two to three weeks as I am going away on holiday tomorrow. Therefore, I wanted to leave our little family reunited and happy. We'll continue their adventures when I get home. Thanks for your continued and wonderful support x_**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

 ** _A/N: Thank you for all of your good wishes and your reviews for the last chapter. I am back from my travels now and so here is a little update for you. I should be able to update regularly once again! Hope you enjoy and it would be lovely if you could send me a little review x_**

"Pa, your face is prickly!" Charlie said, eyes open wide as he patted the Butler's face.

Mr and Mrs Carson had returned from their short honeymoon two days ago and the family of three were enjoying getting settled into their new home, in between duties at the Abbey of course. The three were currently tucked up in bed together; Charlie having joined the couple from his room only minute's ago. The birds were starting to chirp outside the window and there was the hint of the morning sun as it rose across the fields. Even after only two days their mornings together, before going to the Abbey, were a time that the little Carson family cherished.

The Housekeeper chuckled as she heard Charlie's comment. She would let her husband explain that one.

"It is prickly yes because I need to shave," Mr Carson explained, sharing a smile with his wife.

"Shave?" Charlie repeated sweetly, still feeling his Pa's face inquisitively.

"Yes, you see men grow hair on their face and …" he began, not getting any further before Charlie burst into laughter.

"Hair on their face!" the little boy exclaimed, thinking this was the funniest notion he had ever heard.

"Yes, you'll grow hair on your face when you are older," Mrs Carson added, stroking Charlie's soft cheek.

"Will I really?" the little boy gasped, gazing in astonishment at his Ma.

The couple laughed warmly at their little boy's shocked face.

"You will … but not for a few years yet. Anyway, most gentlemen don't want to have a hairy face and so they cut the hair off every morning … that's what shaving is," Mr Carson finished, enjoying teaching his new son these little things.

"You do that every day?" the little boy asked eagerly.

"I do," the Butler replied, ruffling Charlie's hair.

"Can I help you?" he then asked enthusiastically.

Mr Carson grinnned happily at this.

"Why not!" he answered, as Charlie looked delighted.

Mrs Carson shook her head fondly. _This won't get messy at all,_ she reasoned with a smile.

A thought then occurred to the little boy.

"Ma, does hair grow on your face?" he asked innocently.

Mr and Mrs Carson chuckled, with the Butler wrapping up his darling wife and son in his arms and hugging them even more closely.

"No, it doesn't sweetheart ... because only funny men have hairy faces!" she jested, tickling her son's side, as they all dissolved into giggles once more.

######

The Butler and the little boy stood in the bathroom in their vests and pyjama bottoms, both looking in the mirror. Charlie was on the little wooden step that they used so that he could wash his own face and brush his teeth in the sink.

Mr Carson was using his shaving brush to lather up his face, as his son watched in awe.

"You look like Father Christmas!" Charlie exclaimed, as the white cream covered the Butler's entire chin.

Mr Carson smiled broadly, thinking for the umpteenth time how blessed he was.

"Can you do me Pa?" Charlie asked.

The Butler knew that his wife may think he'd gone soft but he would play along with anything to make Charlie happy.

"Right then, let's see …" Mr Carson teased, beginning to lather up Charlie's chin.

The little boy laughed delightedly as the hairs on the brush tickled his chin.

"Look at us!" Charlie exclaimed, as he viewed the two faces covered in white cream in the mirror.

He leaned back against his Pa, as the Butler smiled happily.

"Now what do we do?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, this is the part where we need to be careful. I have to use a very sharp blade to shave my face and you mustn't touch the blade Charlie ... as it could cut you," Mr Carson warned gently, whilst holding his son around the waist with one arm.

"But it might cut you?" Charlie said worriedly.

"Oh no, I'll be fine. Grown up men are used to the blade and when you are a big boy, you'll get used to it too, but for now, you can use this special tool," Mr Carson said seriously, handing Charlie one of his combs.

The little boy grinned.

"Pa, that's a comb!" he said, not being fooled for one second.

"Yes, but the other side of the comb is a special shaving tool for young boys," the Butler returned, pointing at the flat side of the comb rather than the one with all of the teeth.

Charlie now looked at the comb in a totally different light, thrilled to be given this 'special' shaving tool by his Pa. The Butler looked down lovingly at his son; hoping that there would be many more delightful father-son moments such as this.

"Now, this is what you do … copy me," Mr Carson said, as he began long strokes with the blade across his chin and face. He took his time with each stroke so that Charlie could copy with him.

Charlie concentrated with all of his might to copy his Pa and he marvelled as he made lines through the shaving cream. After each stroke, he shared a beaming smile in the mirror with his Pa.

"That's the way, now you have to keep going until you've got no more cream on your face," he explained, smiling as he continued to watch his son.

The two happily continued 'shaving' together, finally rinsing their faces to get rid of any last bits of cream.

"There you are, all done," the Butler cheered, as he tickled Charlie under the chin.

The little boy giggled happily as he reached up with one hand to pat his Pa's face and with his other hand, patted his own face.

"All soft!" he grinned.

######

"We are both shaved and ready Ma," Charlie explained, as he happily skipped into the kitchen ahead of his Pa.

The Butler had also got Charlie (and himself) dressed, as Mrs Carson made their breakfast downstairs. They only had about an hour together in the mornings before they headed to the House and so they divided up the tasks as effectively as they did with their duties at Downton.

"Are you now?" the Housekeeper asked in amusement, turning from the stove as her son came across the kitchen to give her a hug.

Charlie was such an affectionate child and if he had been apart from his Ma for even a few minutes, he always greeted her with a warm hug. She picked him up off the floor; not as easy a task as it once was, as Charlie continued to grow. However, she would never forego such a lovely cuddle from her son. He snuggled tenderly against, resting on her hip with his arms around her neck. She kissed his cheek.

"Ooh, lovely and smooth and no prickles," she teased.

Charlie giggled enthusiastically at that.

"Ma, I'm not big enough for prickles!" he gasped happily.

"Oh yes, I forgot!" she smiled, as he continued to giggle.

"But I _am_ going to shave with Pa every morning, just in case," he added seriously.

The Housekeeper bit her lip to stop her mirth, as she nodded seriously in return. She lowered Charlie to the floor and guided him to the breakfast table. He climbed up on his seat. Mr Carson approached his wife, a loving smile on his face.

She reached up and stroked her husband's face.

"And no prickles here either!" she flirted, kissing his cheek.

Her husband wrapped his arms around her waist and bent to kiss her lips. After a brief peck, they both furtively looked at Charlie, who they were pleased to see still had his back to them as he took a sip of milk. Mr Carson seized his chance, kissing his wife passionately as one hand lowered and softly squeezed her bottom. She smiled against his lips and wound one hand into his hair, pulling him closer.

"Ma is breakfast ready?" Charlie asked, without turning around.

The two broke apart with an accepting sigh, smiling fondly at their interruption.

"Coming right up!" she replied cheerfully, swatting her husband playfully away, as he took his seat at the table.

######

The three happily tucked into sausages, scrambled eggs and toast; these were all things that Mrs Carson could manage with relative ease. She was a little rusty in terms of cooking but hoped to develop her skills, as she wanted to be able to cook for her family.

"How's breakfast Charlie?" she asked.

"Nice," he smiled, putting another forkful of egg into his mouth.

Mr Carson gently guided him to try to use the back of his fork; the formal but more difficult way of eating food. Charlie managed one or two bites like this and was rewarded with a loving wink from his Pa and a warm smile from his Ma.

"You are a good cook Ma, just like Mrs Patmore," he continued, as the Housekeeper smiled proudly.

Mr Carson beamed at his son for praising his Ma; he knew that his wife lacked confidence in the kitchen and he, and now his son, had been trying to encourage her. They also had gobbled up everything she had made so far, both loved their food.

"And I like the brown bits in the eggs," Charlie added genuinely.

Mr Carson held his breath at that comment, as Mrs Carson's mouth dropped open in surprise. She may have caught the egg a little on the bottom of the pan. Charlie continued to finish off his plate, oblivious that he had actually just referenced the burnt bits in the scrambled eggs. The Butler continued to stare helplessly at his wife, waiting for her reaction. She caught his eye and could see his unease. Mrs Carson promptly burst into laughter, both at her son's comment and her husband's panic. _Children are nothing if not honest,_ she reflected happily.

The Butler's bellowing chuckles matched his wife's amusement, as they shared a loving, blissful glance. Charlie looked up from his plate, smiling as he witnessed their laughter. He had no idea what they laughing about but he decided to join in regardless, as he began giggling joyously with his parents. He placed his cutlery on his plate and reached out to take both of their hands in his.

They were still laughing happily as they squeezed his hands in reply.


	38. Chapter 38

_**A/N: Thank you so much for all of your reviews- they are such a boost to keep me writing! Thanks too to the guest reviewers who I cannot thank personally (one or two guest reviews aren't showing up on this site for some reason but I do receive every one by email and I appreciate them all so much). Hope you enjoy this update x**_

Chapter 38

Mrs Carson stood outside Church chatting to the other parishioners. Charlie stood in front of his Ma, leaning back against her legs. She held his shoulder and every so often she would tickle him under the chin whilst she continued to chat to the Village women, making him giggle.

The Butler was talking to the Dowager and Lord and Lady Grantham. The Dowager was holding court, outlining her dread at the thought of the upcoming Season and all of the frivolities this entailed. Lord and Lady Grantham listened restlessly, having heard these groans several times before. However, Mr Carson nodded formally and politely at her words, showing the _Grande Dame_ the reverence and respect he always accorded her.

The Butler realised that the Dowager would have no idea how much he was also dreading the Season, albeit for entirely different reasons. He was determined to get back to Downton at least once during the Season and his wife had promised to visit him in London with Charlie, however he would still be gone for three months. _Three months apart_ _from Elsie and Charlie_ ; the very thought made his heart ache.

For the first time in his life he was beginning to resent the expectations placed upon him in his role as Butler. He was undeniably proud to serve this great Family and he had always believed that the needs and wishes of the Family should come first. Indeed, this was a key attribute of any excellent servant, to place the needs of the Family before your own. However, he now realised that this was in part because, previously, he hadn't had any real needs or priorities of his own. But now he did, Elsie and Charlie were his priority and they always would be. He had not articulated these thoughts to anyone, not even to his wife for fear of upsetting her further, but it now felt unbelievably harsh to expect a family to be parted for such a lengthy period, particularly a family that was so newly formed. He knew that he was being selfish, many other servants' families over the years, in many great houses, had no doubt been separated by such events and he had never given them a second thought. Yet now it would affect him and he felt bereft.

The four finally moved onto more mundane discussions, including the planned replacement of the roof on the Village Hall. Mr Carson could see that his wife was just finishing her chat with a couple of parishioners and he hoped that would mean they could now head home. The Granthams were having lunch at the Dower House and so Mr and Mrs Carson planned to spend the afternoon at their cottage with Charlie, before returning to Downton later this evening. He caught his wife's eye and received a beautiful smile in response. He immediately felt warmed as he watched the Housekeeper and Charlie walk towards him.

"Good morning Mrs Carson and good morning Charlie," Lady Grantham smiled.

"Good morning Milady," Mrs Carson returned warmly, as Charlie also said _'Morning'_ sweetly. Mrs Carson also nodded politely towards the Dowager and Lord Grantham.

The little boy held his Ma's hand tightly, resting against her side. He liked Lady Grantham, she was always kind to him, but he was still a little unsure of the older lady; she didn't smile much.

"My Charlie, you are getting tall. You'll be going to school soon I expect," Her Ladyship continued kindly.

He nodded excitedly; he couldn't wait to go to school with the big boys and girls.

"Yes, Charlie will be going to the Village School from September and he is very much looking forward to it. He enjoys reading and he's also developed a love for History recently," Mrs Carson explained, looking teasingly at her husband, who they all realised was responsible for this newly developed love of History.

"Really? And what History have you been learning about Charlie?" Lord Grantham asked.

"Ummm …" Charlie pondered, scrunching his little face as he considered the question.

His parents shared an amused glance as they watched their little boy.

"Ooh, I know … Pa told me about when there was lots of fighting in France. France is across the sea. And they killed the king. He had his head chopped off!" Charlie gasped, a delighted grin on his face, despite the gruesome nature of this information.

Mrs Carson chuckled at her son's enthusiasm.

"The French Revolution," Mr Carson added, smiling proudly at his son.

"Yep! And then there was an English king who had 6 wives! But Ma said Pa is only allowed one wife!" he exclaimed, giggling at this funny thought as he looked up at his Ma and Pa.

All of the adults laughed at this, as Mrs Carson blushed. She had indeed said that! She hugged her son closely to her side, bending to kiss his cheek.

"You give away all my secrets," she teased lovingly, as Charlie laughed with glee.

Mr Carson chuckled as he watched this scene unfold, gazing tenderly at his wife and son.

"Well, we must bid you good day, Milady, Milord and Milady," the Butler said, nodding to each one in turn.

"Yes, good day," Mrs Carson added with a smile, as the family of three bid their farewell.

######

"I thought you might like some lemonade," Mrs Carson said, as she joined her son and husband in the garden.

Charlie smiled and ran across to his Ma. They both took a seat at the table and she poured them some lemonade. Her husband continued to huff and bluster at the other side of the garden, as he attempted to attach the rope to the branch.

"Is it proving more difficult than you imagined?" she dared gently, hoping to offer some support.

Her husband was determined to make a swing for Charlie, rather than asking a tradesman in the Village to do it. He had thought it would be easy; _surely he just needed to attach the rope to the branch and then the wooden slat as a seat to the rope?_ However, he'd been working on this swing for the last hour and he still hadn't attached the rope securely, let alone finished the seat.

"No … it's not difficult at all … it just needs some careful planning that is all. It is no problem at all," he said quite sharply, only just controlling his frustration as he continued to wrestle with the rope.

Charlie gazed at his Ma, raising his eyebrows knowingly. Mrs Carson bit her lip in her characteristic way to ensure she didn't laugh.

 _"_ _Maybe you should help him Ma,"_ Charlie whispered. He was entirely serious.

"Uh-huh … I'm sure your Pa will manage sweetheart …" she said encouragingly, only to be interrupted by a loud wail, as her husband hit his thumb with a hammer.

"Are you alright Charles?" she asked warmly.

"Fine, fine. Absolutely fine thank you," he shouted tetchily.

Mrs Carson took a sip of her lemonade to halt the laughter that threatened, as Charlie covered his mouth with both hands to try to withhold his own giggles; his eyes sparkling at his Ma. His Pa was very funny when he was grumpy.

######

"Feeling better?" she smiled, as he walked into their bedroom, having enjoyed a long soak in the bath.

Their day had been a busy one. They had overseen morning preparations at Downton and then attended Church, followed by lunch at the cottage and his determined effort to build the swing in the garden. They had then returned to the Abbey for the evening dinner service, finally coming home after eleven o'clock. Charlie had napped on the sofa in the Housekeeper's sitting room and then been carried home by his Pa. He was now asleep in his own bed and the couple, for the first time all day, were alone together.

"Much better thank you," he smiled, as he discarded his dressing gown and placed it over the chair by the window.

He climbed under the covers and his wife snuggled happily against his side. He held her to him, her head on his shoulder as he rested against her hair, feeling soothed at last.

"I am sorry I was crabby about the swing. That blasted thing took me hours," he said, caressing her side and back with his fingertips.

"You are forgiven … and you managed eventually. Charlie loves it," she smiled, kissing his chest through his pyjama top.

"He does, doesn't he?" he replied contentedly, as they both remembered the little boy's glowing face as they swung him back and forth.

The Butler kissed his wife's temple, as she snuggled even closer against his chest. They both lay in silence for a few minutes, gently holding and soothing the other. He continued to place small, sweet kisses to her hair and temple. Whilst he'd been irritable earlier, they both knew that the underlying tension they were feeling wasn't about something as trivial as a swing.

"I am anxious about the Season," he admitted quietly.

"I know you are. So am I love," she replied tenderly, as she continued to lie against his chest, tucked under his chin.

The thought of Charles leaving them for three months was quite unbearable, no matter how positive she tried to be about this upcoming separation.

"We are going to have to tell Charlie," he added worriedly.

"Yes, we are …" she sighed, as she sat up a little so that she could look at her husband.

"… but for tonight, let's just be thankful for our beautiful family and we'll worry about the rest later, hmm?" she suggested, stroking her husband's face lovingly.

He smiled, reaching across to kiss her lips meaningfully.

"I don't know what I would do without you Mrs Carson," he said sincerely, kissing her lips once more.

She smiled prettily at her husband and then resumed her cossetted place against his chest.

"The feeling is entirely mutual Mr Carson," she replied fondly, kissing his chest once more.

His sigh of contentment was the last thing she heard before she drifted off to sleep.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"Here we are, three cups of hot chocolate," Mrs Carson said, as she joined her son and husband on the sofa.

"With cream?" Charlie asked excitedly. This was a special treat.

"With cream," the Housekeeper smiled, sitting down beside them. Charlie sat on the Butler's knee; they had been reading a book together.

His Pa placed the book on the side table, as Mr and Mrs Carson shared a glance, knowing it was time to talk to Charlie about the Season. The Butler, and many of the other staff, would be leaving in just two days. They had decided to play down the separation as much as possible whilst still being honest; after all, Charlie had no concept of time and therefore there was no need to dwell on this. _Here goes,_ Mrs Carson reflected, taking a deep breath.

"Charlie, I'm not sure I have ever told you this but Lord and Lady Grantham spend a couple of months every year in London. They have a home there too," she began gently.

"They have two homes?" he asked.

"Yes, aren't they lucky?" she smiled.

"Yes, two homes … and London is where the king lives … in a big, big palace," he said happily, as he took a large gulp of hot chocolate.

"That's right Charlie. And you see, there's no-one in London to look after the Family and so some of the staff from Downton travel with them to look after them," Mr Carson added.

"Can't they look after themselves?" Charlie asked innocently.

Mrs Carson nodded in amusement, proud of her son's suggestion, as her husband shook his head fondly. The Housekeeper was far more likely to question the privileges of the rich than her husband but this wasn't the time for that particular debate.

"Well … they live in a very big house you see, so they need a bit of extra help," the Housekeeper added kindly.

"Who goes with them?" Charlie asked cheerfully.

Mr and Mrs Carson shared another glance, immediately realising that their attempt to approach this topic subtly had just disappeared. Mr Carson swallowed his anxieties as his wife began to speak.

"A few of the staff go with them sweetheart … and your Pa goes with them. He is Butler in London just like he is at Downton," she said steadily, her hand resting on Charlie's knee.

Suddenly, uncertainty clouded Charlie's face.

"But Pa lives here with us," he replied simply.

"And my home will always be here with you and your Ma Charlie, always. It's my favourite place in the whole world. But for a little while each year, I have to go to London to work there," Mr Carson added, forcing a smile and his eyes never leaving his son's.

"You are leaving me and Ma?" Charlie panicked, his face full of concern and his eyes filling with tears.

"Oh no love," Mrs Carson gasped, as her husband also quickly started to speak.

"No son, not at all … I would never leave you. I'm just going to work in London for a little bit. You and your Ma will come and stay with me in London and I'll try my very best to get back here to visit you as well. And I can talk to you both on the telephone," the Butler explained hurriedly, desperate to stall his son's tears.

The Butler felt like his heart was being torn in two as he tried to soften the news for his son. Charlie looked so upset. His wife also felt absolutely dreadful as she watched the pain on the faces of both of her loved ones. She speedily stepped in.

"Imagine that Charlie, you and I will go to London to visit your Pa. He is going to take us to see Buckingham Palace, where the king lives," she added with exaggerated awe.

Charlie still looked shaken but both of his parents noticed a little glint of something in his eyes.

"And I'll take you to London Zoo to see the elephants and the lions and the monkeys," Mr Carson added, wiggling his eyebrows to try to make his son smile.

Charlie smiled gently at this prospect. Mrs Carson placed their cups on the table.

"Our little monkey will get to see some real monkeys!" she teased, tapping Charlie's nose warmly, as his Pa held him even more snugly on his knee.

The little boy giggled at that and they hoped they might be through the worst. However, worry then overtook Charlie again.

"But why does Pa have to go? And for how long?" Charlie asked, his expression full of sadness once again.

"Because your Pa has a very important job and he has to look after things at the London house. He'll be gone for a few weeks and some of the other staff will go to London as well," the Housekeeper said softly, all the while, stroking Charlie's face and arm.

She knew this information may unsettle her son further, as he was very used to spending time with many of the staff, Mrs Patmore particularly, but he needed to know that a few of the staff would be leaving as well as his Pa. The Abbey would be considerably quieter once they all went to London.

"Who else?" he asked, his eyes wide open in apprehension.

"Mrs Patmore, Anna and Mr Bates, Mr Molesley and a few of the other staff go to help the family in London … and Mr Barrow will go to London as well ... he is learning to be Butler from your Pa," she explained.

He listened carefully and continued to look very worried. So many of the Staff would be leaving the House and he would miss them.

"But your Pa and the others won't be gone for too long Charlie, they'll be back before we know it and we get to have an adventure at the Abbey … we can even explore upstairs!" the Housekeeper cheered, trying to make it sound exciting.

"Can we not go with them?" he asked. He was still focused on his Pa and the others going to London.

"Your Ma has a very important job too Charlie and she has to look after Downton whilst the rest of us are in London," Mr Carson explained.

"But I don't want you to go Pa. You should be here with Ma and me," the little boy exclaimed, as he reached upwards and held tightly to his Pa.

Mr Carson felt bereft, as he held his son with one arm and reached out to hold his wife's hand with the other. The Housekeeper and Butler shared an understanding glance, both having the same thought. _Charlie is right. He should be with his wife and son._ However, they both knew that nothing could be done about this.

The Butler kissed his son's hair and tried to soothe him, both parents stroking his back and whispering comforting words.

"I know it seems unfair Charlie but it's my job and we promise we will talk to each other often and visit each other," Mr Carson offered; his own voice now weighted down by sadness; he could no longer pretend to be happy as he cuddled his upset son.

Charlie rested his face sadly against his Pa's chest. _This will never do,_ Mrs Carson realised.

"Now come on, enough with these glum faces, hmm? Your Pa and I love you very much Charlie and the three of us will always be a family. Now of course we are going to miss your Pa terribly when he is in London but we'll think about him all of the time and we'll draw pictures for him and speak to him on the telephone. We can write letters to him as well. It'll be almost like he's right here with us. He won't be gone for too long and we will visit him in London and see all sorts of wonderful things. What an adventure that will be!" she explained, a beaming smile on her face, despite the anxiety she truly felt.

Charlie sat back from his Pa's chest and a small smile appeared, as his Ma stroked his face and his Pa continued to kiss his hair.

"And we'll have to give your Pa an extra big cuddle before he goes to London as he's going to miss us terribly … we are the lucky ones as we'll have each other but your Pa won't have either of us. So, we'll have to make sure we send him off to London feeling happy and loved. Do you think you can help me with that?" she asked lovingly, knowing that her kind son would rise to the challenge.

Charlie nodded enthusiastically, reaching up to kiss his Pa on the cheek.

"We'll give you the biggest cuddle when you leave Pa and I'll draw you some special pictures to take with you," Charlie added sweetly.

The Butler took an enormous breath, willing his tears not to fall. He had the most wonderful wife and son and he wasn't sure what he had ever done to deserve such blessings.

"That will be wonderful Charlie and that will make me very happy indeed. I am going to miss you both more than you know … but I'll be counting the days until you come and visit me in London. I'll be looking forward to that so much. Imagine everything we'll be able to see together …" the Butler said excitedly, having roused himself, as Charlie continued to smile.

The little boy reached up and cuddled his Pa again. As he held his son tightly to his chest, the Butler's tears finally beginning to fall. Mrs Carson reached out and softly wiped the tears from his cheeks, smiling tenderly at her husband.

"And I'll ask Mrs Patmore to give you a cuddle if you feel sad," Charlie added seriously.

Mr and Mrs Carson spluttered with laughter at that thought.

"And then before we know it, your Pa will be back here with us and we'll continue to live in our cottage, just the three of us," Mrs Carson added, feeling hopeful that they had said enough to Charlie for the moment.

Goodness knows, three months was an extraordinarily long time but they could deal with any other challenges or questions, if and when they emerged.

"Just the three of us," Charlie repeated sweetly, as his Ma and Pa both placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

He squealed in delight.

######

"All sorted downstairs …" the Butler chimed happily, as he entered their bedroom.

"Oh ... yes … lovely," his wife replied hastily, attempting to rub her eyes discreetly as she stood at the window, looking out at their garden.

She hadn't expected her husband to return to their bedroom so quickly; she'd thought it would take him a little longer to bank the fire and lock up downstairs. She hadn't wanted him to see her upset.

"Oh, Elsie love," he gasped, realising that she was crying.

He was across to her in three enormous strides, wrapping her up in his arms.

"Elsie, please love … please don't cry," he gasped tenderly, his own voice wavering as he could not bear to see his wife upset.

"Don't mind me Charles, I am just being silly," she said, her voice shaky and muffled against his chest.

He hugged her even more snugly, kissing the side of her face repeatedly.

"You, Elsie Carson, are never silly. Your husband on the other hand …" he returned, hoping to make her smile.

It worked and she leant back a little in his arms, smiling lovingly at her daft man. Her eyes were red and sore from crying. He raised one hand to stroke her face.

"The Season," he said simply, as she nodded confirmation, smiling through the tears that continued to fall lightly on her cheeks.

He brushed her cheeks softly with his thumb, as he tried to stall his own emotions. His eyes glistened too, as he gazed at his beautiful wife who was smiling bravely.

They had focused so much on trying to be positive and brave for Charlie that they hadn't had a chance to fully acknowledge their own fears, worries and dread about the impending separation. They had been married for only two weeks and would now spend almost three months apart, other than one or two short visits at most.

"The last fortnight has been the happiest time of my life Elsie. Truly. I love you and I am going to miss you so much. I wish I didn't have to leave you, my sweetheart," he managed, tears now flowing freely down his face.

She rested both hands on his chest.

"I have never been happier either Charles. That's what makes this so hard. I have had a taste for what our life will be and I just wish we didn't have to give it up so soon," she explained.

He rested his forehead against hers and they both stood silently, holding each other and allowing their tears to fall. Neither could say anything that would make the situation better and so they were content just to be, just to hold each other and to be. Eventually their tears began to ease.

Mr Carson began to kiss his wife's face gently, determined to dry the last of her tears with his lips. She closed her eyes and allowed him to soothe her in this way. With their emotions so heightened, their gentle caresses soon became more passionate, as they both clung to each other. He kissed a path to her jaw and then down the graceful column of her neck, nipping her skin gently and temptingly between his teeth. Her dressing gown fell from her shoulders, as he kissed still lower, his hands caressing and exploring, never wanting to let his wife go.

She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she ran her hands through his hair. As their lips met, their desire and devotion swelled and they tumbled onto the bed, kissing eagerly. They tossed and turned on the sheets, never halting their caresses, even when the Butler bumped his head on the headboard and they both laughed happily at this mishap. Without breaking their kiss, Mrs Carson soothed his scalp with her fingertips and her husband continued to worship her, cossetting her in love.

They had little time left before the Season but as they smiled against each other's lips and enjoyed this intimacy, they were determined to make every second count.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

 ** _A/N: Thank you to those who loyally review- you are incredible and I appreciate your support so much. However, reviews are starting to dwindle and I would never want to outstay my welcome, therefore I plan to wrap this little tale up over the next few chapters. Don't worry- I never leave a story unfinished and so I'll bring it to a fitting conclusion for those who are still following! Hope you enjoy the remaining updates and thanks again to those who have supported this fic- it's been a pleasure to write x_**

Mrs Carson sat on the settee in her sitting room, running her fingers through Charlie's soft hair as he lay asleep on her knee. He had fallen asleep almost two hours ago and she didn't have the heart to wake him just yet, even though they really should be leaving for their cottage. If she was honest, she also knew that she was deliberately stalling their departure from the Abbey as she dreaded their first night alone at the cottage. Whilst they were at Downton, she could almost pretend that the Butler was nearby, polishing the silver or serving the dinner in another room. Yet once they returned to their cottage, there would be no escaping the vacant chair at the kitchen table or the empty space beside her in bed. She shook her head at such thoughts. _When did you get so daft Elsie Carson?_ she reasoned, smiling lightly at herself for feeling so maudlin. She then heard a small snuffle from her son, as he twisted a little in his sleep, snuggling more closely to her. Her heart swelled at this sight, as she continued to soothe Charlie's hair. _We'll be fine_ , she thought gratefully, knowing how lucky she was to have Charlie with her. She then closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer up to heaven; _Please God, take care of Charles and make sure he is alright too._

######

"I thought you might like a cup of tea Mr Carson," the Cook said kindly, pushing the door to his pantry open as she held the tray in the air.

"Thank you, Mrs Patmore," he said formally, quickly pushing the drawings he had been looking at under his ledger.

Mrs Patmore smiled to herself; she would recognise Charlie's drawings anywhere. She placed the tea tray on his desk. He noted the shortbreads alongside the tea, his favourites.

"This is very kind Mrs Patmore but you must have so much to do, one of the kitchen maids could have brought me the tea, surely?" he said knowingly.

She sat down on the seat opposite him; briefly taking the weight of her feet, she had not stopped since they'd arrived in London that afternoon.

"Yes, they could have brought the tea but then I wouldn't have been able to see if you were alright," she replied honestly, staring defiantly at her long-time colleague and now friend.

He smiled at that; despite her bluster the Cook had a heart of gold.

"I am fine Mrs Patmore … thank you," he said sincerely.

He wasn't fine really. It had taken all of his will to hold himself together during the train journey to London. He could not erase the image of his beautiful wife and son on the platform; Elsie waving to him lovingly and Charlie bouncing up and down and blowing kisses to him through the window. The Butler and Housekeeper had remained admirably restrained in front of the other staff; their real goodbye having been said in the privacy of their cottage that morning. Yet he already missed them. It would be six weeks before they visited him in London and he knew that it would be the longest six weeks of his life.

The Cook also knew that he was not fine but she thought it best not to challenge him. She did not want to make things even more difficult for him.

"Well, Charlie said that I had to give you a cuddle if you got sad but I thought you'd prefer some tea and shortbreads instead!" she teased, chuckling happily.

Mr Carson gasped at her comment, blushing slightly; he couldn't believe that Charlie had actually spoken to her about giving him a cuddle! _My wonderful, loving son_ , he reflected tenderly, laughing gently.

"He's a little character that one," she added fondly. She loved the little boy as well.

"He is indeed," the Butler grinned, before becoming lost in his thoughts for a second or two.

He eventually looked upwards at Mrs Patmore, knowing that she was the only member of staff he would admit his next thought to. He trusted her.

"I'm going to miss them both so much," he admitted, swallowing hard as he attempted to withhold his emotions. He had not intended to become so overwhelmed in front of the Cook.

She nodded sympathetically, knowing how big a step it was for him to admit such a thing to her.

"And they'll miss you Mr Carson, very much, but you will all be reunited soon enough, just focus on that, eh?" she returned kindly.

"Indeed," he managed with a nod, discreetly wiping his eyes.

######

"Have you finished your picture for your Pa?" she asked, smiling to herself as she watched the concentration on Charlie's face as he added the last few details.

"Yep … done Ma. He's going to love it!" Charlie said excitedly, jumping down from his seat at the table in the front room and running across to join his Ma on the settee.

He held the picture up to her.

"Guess what it is!" he said enthusiastically.

Mrs Carson smiled happily at her son, hoping inwardly that she would recognise what he had drawn; it wasn't always easy and she had made a few mistaken guesses in the past.

"Umm let's see … well this must be your Pa as he's very tall," she began, with Charlie nodding excitedly beside her.

"And this lady here, umm … she has a long dress and a nice, big smile … she must be … me!" she exclaimed, as Charlie nodded happily.

"Now who is this little tinker in the middle holding our hands … is it Mrs Patmore?" she jested, as Charlie chuckled ecstatically.

"It's me!" he shouted, as his Ma wrapped her arm around him and pulled him closer to her side.

"Oh so it is … and let's see … ooh … a bucket and spade and … some waves. We are on the beach," she realised with great relief.

"Yep … it's our day at the beach and there is an ice cream and a donkey and a sandcastle," he explained further, pointing to some squiggles at the bottom of the drawing.

"Oh so there is … well that is wonderful. Your Pa will love this Charlie. Let's write a little note to go with it, hmm?" she suggested.

"Yep!" he cheered, bounding from the settee once more to collect a pencil and some paper.

He scampered back to join his Ma.

"Imagine Pa's face when he gets this picture _and_ our surprise!" Charlie grinned excitedly, whispering the last part; their surprise was a secret after all.

The Housekeeper reached down and kissed her son's cheek.

"Your Pa's smile will be the biggest in the whole of England!" the Housekeeper replied, as Charlie squealed with delight.

######

Mr Carson lay in his bed in his small attic room at Grantham House, his eyes never leaving the most wonderful gift he had ever received. His fingers traced the edges of the frame, as he imagined his wife doing exactly the same thing before posting it to him. _What he would give to feel her touch._

He grinned happily as he recalled his wife's accompanying letter, as she described the excitement of their son as they enjoyed a day trip to York to get this photo taken. She explained that Charlie had been determined to look his best and had begged his Ma to put some of his Pa's pomade in his hair. His son had worn the same shirt, tie and trousers that he had worn for their wedding, whilst his wife had worn the prettiest blouse and skirt which Mr Carson was almost certain were new. She looked beautiful and his son very handsome. His wife described Charlie's excitement as they sat on the couch together in the photography studio; he'd been so animated at the thought of this special photograph for his Pa that she had abandoned their original plan to have a formal portrait taken. She had instead asked the photographer to take a more natural photograph of them both, as they beamed at each other, Charlie resting his hand on his Ma's leg as she held him to her side. _I hope this photograph isn't too modern for your taste my love_ , she had teased in her letter, knowing that her husband would adore this memento of his family. She hoped it would make the passing weeks a little more bearable for him. It was now three weeks until he could see his wife and son in person.

The Butler sighed with contentment as he gazed at the beautiful photograph before him. _My Family,_ he thought warmly, tears welling in his eyes but his heart swelling with love.

"Night Elsie, Night Charlie," he whispered, as he finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

######

Just over two hundred miles north in Downton, the Housekeeper lay against her husband's pillow; a sentimental habit that she would admit to no-one. A smile graced her face.

"Night Charles," she breathed.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

 ** _A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews and support. However, a_** ** _ll stories come to a natural end and I think it's simply time to draw this one happily to a close. I'll write a few more chapters and then we'll leave the little Carson family to their lovely life together. Thanks again x_**

"Bye Pa, love ya," Charlie cheered sweetly, having spoken to his Pa on the telephone for the last five minutes.

"Goodbye son and I love you too," Mr Carson replied tenderly.

Only his wife and his son heard him speak in such a way; he knew that others would be amazed by his open affection with his loved ones, they saw him as the buttoned up, stoic and formal Butler. However, despite appearances, the Butler had had a very loving childhood himself and he knew the importance of a child feeling cherished and loved.

Despite this, he was glad that his son couldn't see how emotional he was as he sat in his pantry, his eyes welling with tears as he listened to the little boy chirp away happily about what he had been up to at Downton. He missed Charlie and his wife terribly and it had now been four weeks since he'd seen them. _Just two more weeks and they'll be visiting you in London_ , he reminded himself. A warm smile briefly appeared on his face until he realised that following this brief visit it would be another six weeks without them. The Butler was broken from his thoughts as he heard his wife gently ushering Charlie to go and see Daisy in the kitchen so that she could speak to his Pa. He then heard the door to his Downton pantry close, as his wife picked up the telephone to speak to him.

"My turn at last," she teased, as the Butler chuckled at the other end of the line.

"It is wonderful to hear your voice Elsie," he replied, closing his eyes as he absorbed the warmth of her Scottish tones.

"And yours my love and we do miss you so," she said, feeling her voice wobble ever so slightly.

She hoped that her husband hadn't heard the waver in her voice; she did not want to cause him further upset. However, of course he had heard. He smiled wearily, knowing they were both finding this time apart difficult.

"I miss you too love. So very much," he breathed, wishing with all of his heart that he was at Downton with his wife and son.

"And Charlie misses you too. He talks about you all of the time and he can't wait to tell you about the new history topic we've been studying … would you believe I am now also an expert on the Roman conquest," she explained happily.

She beamed as she heard his low rumble of laughter.

"Well, I am very impressed!" he replied.

"And his reading is coming on leaps and bounds, as well as his arithmetic … he can count to twenty confidently now," she added proudly.

One of the positives of the much quieter period at Downton during the Season was that she'd had much more time to spend with Charlie; the boy loved to learn and both the Butler and Housekeeper encouraged such learning, both wanted their son to be fully educated and to have opportunities that neither of them had enjoyed.

"That's wonderful Elsie," he said genuinely, although he couldn't help but feel a little saddened that he wasn't with them to be part of this.

"We'll be with you soon Charles, don't worry love," she soothed, hearing his understandable disappointment that he was missing out on such things.

"You will indeed love and I can't wait," he said more positively.

"And how are things at the House? I hope Mrs Bute is well?" Elsie asked politely. She didn't know the London Housekeeper of course but the Butler always spoke highly of her.

"Things seem fine. Preparations for Lady Rose's presentation are progressing nicely. And Mrs Bute is well. She asks after you and Charlie regularly. She seems delighted that I have a wife and child, I'm not sure she quite believes it," he jested, thinking that even he would have thought this notion preposterous, even only a year ago.

The Housekeeper laughed at that.

"We received a lovely letter from Mrs Patmore yesterday and she sent Charlie some of his favourite gingerbreads. She even spoils him from London," she explained happily, very glad that her son had such a devoted 'Auntie' figure in his life.

"Yes, she said she was sending those. She misses Charlie too, and of course she misses you … all of the staff do," he added fondly.

"Well, I best let you go. You need to serve dinner and I need to get our little tinker back to the cottage," she said wistfully.

He took a deep breath, knowing his wife was quite right.

"I love you Mrs Carson," he breathed, as she smiled a beautiful smile; she would never tire of hearing those words.

"I love you too, my man. Take care Charles," she replied warmly.

######

"Mrs Patmore, for you … from Charlie," Mr Carson smiled, as he sat at the Servant's table and handed her the small envelope that had been included with his own letter from home.

"Aww bless him," she cheered, as she opened the handmade card, coloured in by the little boy. She walked towards the kitchen with a spring in her step.

"And one for you Mr Barrow," the Butler coughed, feeling a little uncomfortable.

It was no secret that the Butler and Under-Butler were not very fond of each other but there was no denying that Mr Barrow had a soft spot for Charlie, as did the little boy for him. The Under-Butler always treated the young lad with kindness and care and so despite his reservations about the untrustworthiness of his younger charge, Mr Carson knew that he had no justification for discouraging this relationship.

"For me?" Mr Barrow asked, genuinely touched as he spotted Charlie's childlike writing on the envelope.

"So it seems," the Butler said formally, not wanting to seem sentimental.

Miss Baxter leaned towards Mr Barrow as he opened his card, giving a soppy 'aww' as she saw the words 'Miss you' in Charlie's handwriting and a drawing of a duck. Mr Barrow felt quite touched as he traced his thumb over the sweet drawing and words.

Mr Carson retained his solemn demeanour but he couldn't help but be warmed by this gesture from his kind son.

######

"Ma, why doesn't Sybbie have a Ma?" Charlie asked, as the two sat at the table in their kitchen eating some stew.

Mr Branson and Miss Sybbie were back at Downton for a few days whilst he tended to some Estate matters and therefore Charlie and Sybbie had played together that afternoon.

Her son was very inquisitive and he always had some burning question on his mind, however this one surprised her a little.

"Sybbie's Ma died sweetheart. She's in heaven just like your Mam," she said softly, reaching across to stroke his hand.

They spoke about Ethel often but the Housekeeper still worried for Charlie, having suffered such a loss.

"But when my Mam went to heaven, I got you!" he replied, a big smile on his face.

She smiled brightly too, as she squeezed his hand. _My sweet boy, he thinks that everyone gets a new mother._

"You did. But Sybbie had her Pa to look after her. She may get a new Ma in the future but not for now," she replied gently, hoping this was enough explanation.

He nodded thoughtfully.

"I am glad I got a new Ma. I wouldn't want to wait like Sybbie," he said honestly, as he continued to eat his stew.

Mrs Carson's heart swelled to hear his words.

"I am glad too sweetheart. What would I do without my little monkey, eh?" she asked, feeling overcome with love for her little boy.

He giggled at that.

" _And_ I got a Pa! I'm so lucky," he cheered, as he spooned another spoonful into his mouth.

"We are the lucky ones love, we got the most precious son in the world," she returned, winking at Charlie who rewarded her with the most beautiful smile.

######

"Charles, I didn't expect you to telephone again so soon," she said, surprised that it was the Butler on the line. They had only spoken the day before.

"Elsie, I have wonderful news. Mrs Bute is ill!" he gasped, as his wife spluttered with shocked laughter at the other end of the line.

"Oh no, I mean that's not wonderful obviously. And she is fine … she needs a routine operation, that is all, and she'll need a few weeks off work," he added, realising how callous his words must have sounded.

"I see and the wonderful part?" the Housekeeper asked in amusement, she still could not make sense of this conversation.

Mr Carson grinned from ear to ear as he sat in his pantry, so looking forward to telling his wife this news. He had been so eager to ring her after he had spoken to His Lordship, he'd almost knocked Mr Molesley over in his haste as he had descended the stairs.

"His Lordship and Her Ladyship want you to come to London to take charge whilst Mrs Bute is ill," he pronounced, feeling quite overcome.

"Me? In London? And with Charlie?" she asked, finally realising why her husband was so animated.

"Yes! For the rest of the Season most likely. Elsie … you and Charlie will be with me in London!" he said, as excited as a young child on Christmas morning.

The Housekeeper gasped, the good news finally hitting her.

"Oh Charles! That is wonderful!" she exclaimed, happiness bubbling out of her at last.

"I told you!" he returned with much spark, making her laugh.

"When Charles?" she asked, still somewhat in shock from this turn of events.

"Tomorrow. They'd like you to come to tomorrow on the ten o'clock train if possible love. Will that be alright?" he asked, hoping with every fibre of his being that it would be alright; he had not seen his wife and son for over four weeks.

"We'll manage somehow Charles. Oh my. I best be off … I have so much to organise. Charlie will explode with excitement! We'll see you tomorrow Charles," she replied breathlessly, not quite believing this was true.

"Tomorrow my love," he returned, feeling overwhelming joy.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

"Daisy! Daisy! Me and Ma are going to London to see Pa!" he exclaimed, as he ran ahead of his Ma to the kitchen.

"Are you? I thought that was in two weeks," she said, a smile on her face as she observed how excited Charlie was.

"We are going tomorrow!" he gasped, turning around to his Ma for confirmation.

The Housekeeper nodded, laughing at his enthusiasm and wrapping her arms around him, as he lay back against her legs.

"Mrs Bute isn't very well and so they want me down in London to take charge. They'd like you to follow in a few days Daisy, apparently the preparations are more extensive than they first thought. Ivy can stay here and look after Mr Branson," Mrs Carson explained.

"Oh, I see. That's fine. And you go tomorrow … you'll have lots to organise and pack," Daisy replied.

"We certainly will. I'll quickly write a list of things for the maids Daisy and organise a few things here ... and then we best head to the cottage to get sorted and packed. Goodness knows what we'll need … we may be there for weeks!" she said, feeling happy yet weary at the thought of having to get everything sorted so swiftly.

"I'll help pack Ma," Charlie said sweetly.

The Housekeeper and Daisy beamed at the little boy.

"Well thank you my little monkey," Mrs Carson said, bending down to kiss his face.

"And why don't I make you a basket for your dinner tonight, that will save you a little time," Daisy offered kindly.

"Oh, would you Daisy? That is very kind," the older woman smiled.

"Right then little tinker, let's go and see what we need to take from my sitting-room," Mrs Carson said.

Charlie bounced up and down as he skipped ahead, his mind whirring as he headed down the corridor, "I'll need my books, pencils, jigsaws … my teddy bear … umm … my blanket …" he muttered, as the Housekeeper shook her head fondly.

######

"Mr Carson, why don't you go to the station early, hmm?" Mrs Patmore suggested, only just keeping her temper in check.

"What now? It's another two hours before they arrive?" he asked, as he stood in the kitchen.

"I know that. But you could read a newspaper whilst you wait, have a cup of tea or even something stronger …" she added warmly.

The Butler still looked befuddled by this suggestion and so the Cook decided to be more direct.

"And it'll save me from murdering you before you get to see your wife and child!" she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

Only Mrs Patmore, and of course his wife, would dare speak to Mr Carson in this way. Even the Cook would rarely do so but he had been under her feet all morning, mithering and complaining about every last thing. He was up a height with the anticipation of seeing his family, all of a dither and taking his anxieties out on any member of staff that crossed his path; Mrs Patmore couldn't stand it for a minute longer.

"I know I've been a little angsty …" he admitted sheepishly.

"A little!" she added and then softened her tone before continuing.

"… now, go on … I know how much you are looking forward to seeing them and you don't want to chance being late … and Mrs Carson and Charlie will be so excited to see you. You get yourself off and enjoy your afternoon with them," she smiled warmly.

He couldn't help smiling in return. Mr Barrow would serve luncheon at Grantham House so that he could take his wife and son out for lunch and perhaps a stroll through St James's Park. He wanted the opportunity to spend some time with them before they arrived at the House and he hoped they would both enjoy this little impromptu outing. His wife and Charlie could then get settled into their new home later this evening.

"And you'll be alright here?" he asked, still a little unsure about leaving the House without himself or Mrs Bute.

"We'll be fine. Give them both my love," the Cook smiled.

He nodded happily in reply.

######

"Ma, are we nearly there?" Charlie asked, fidgeting in his seat with excitement.

This was about the tenth time he had asked this question during their train journey.

"Not long now love," she smiled, ruffling his hair.

He beamed at his Ma.

"And Pa will be at the Station to meet us?" he asked, his eyes open wide in eagerness.

"I am sure he will. I imagine he'll be bouncing up and down with excitement as we speak, just like you," she soothed, caressing his cheek.

Charlie grinned with happiness, giggling at this thought. He grasped his Ma's hand with both of his small hands as he continued to look out of the window.

######

Mr Carson placed his newspaper on the table in the station restaurant with a sigh. No matter how hard he tried he could not focus on the words. He was too distracted, looking down at his watch every few seconds. _I hope they made the train,_ he worried. He knew that his wife would have had so much to organise in a very short space of time. _Of course, they'll have made the train. You are married to the most efficient woman on earth_ , he reminded himself, as he grinned happily. He could not believe that in just under an hour, he would have his wife and son with him. His heart soared at the thought.

######

"Almost there now Charlie, let's get our things ready," she smiled, as Charlie bounded off his seat and almost fell over when the train jolted.

"Be careful love," she exclaimed, as she reached out to steady him.

Charlie laughed cheerfully at his wobble as his Ma passed him his small satchel.

"Pop your book in there and your sweeties," she smiled, as she packed up the basket with their flask and remaining treats, as well as the book she had been reading.

She fastened his jacket and placed his cap back on his head.

"Where are our cases?" Charlie asked, suddenly realising that their cases weren't in the carriage with them.

"The train guards will get those for us," she explained, knowing that her husband would have already organised this.

"Right all set," she said, as they both sat back down, now in their coats and hats and ready to depart.

Mrs Carson then took a small mirror from her handbag and checked her hair, pinning a couple of stray hairs back under her hat to ensure she looked respectable. She would have liked to add a little sheen to her lips but she didn't want to look foolish; there was a younger couple sitting across the carriage from them.

"Pa will think you are pretty Ma …" Charlie said with a cheeky grin, as he looked at his Ma in delight.

"Shush now," she said, her cheeks blushing pink as she shook her head lovingly at her perceptive son. He laughed joyfully at his Ma.

######

The train pulled into the station, the steam filling the platform and then clearing as the passengers departed the train. All passengers departed at Kings Cross, the train did not go any further. Therefore, what seemed like hundreds of people crowded the platform, as the Butler walked swiftly towards the third-class carriages, eager to spot his wife and son. His heart raced as he scoured the scene before him, hoping to see his family. After a few seconds of panic when he couldn't see them, he spotted his wife and son, stepping down from their carriage, holding hands. He felt his entire body glow with anticipation as his wife looked along the platform and caught his gaze. The beautiful smile he received warmed his whole being, as he let out the breath he didn't even know he had been holding and smiled tenderly at his wife.

He watched as she bent down to whisper something to Charlie. The little boy immediately looked in the direction of the Butler and spotted his Pa, letting out an excited shriek of joy. The platform had cleared a little and so Mrs Carson let go of her son's hand and allowed him to run to his Pa. Mr Carson's pace sped up as he walked as fast as possible towards his loved ones. At the same time, his son came hurtlingly towards him. As soon as Charlie was in arm's reach, the Butler swooped him up in the air, hugging him tightly.

"Pa! Pa! I've missed you," the little boy squealed, as his arms wrapped around his Pa's neck and he breathed in the familiar scent of his Pa's cologne.

"Oh Charlie, I've missed you too. You'll never know how much," the Butler said, holding his son securely to his chest.

The Butler could feel tears in his eyes as he breathed heavily, resting his face against his son's hair, overcome with happiness to have Charlie in his arms. As his wife approached, he held out his hand to her, as he still held Charlie with his other arm. She grasped his hand, her own tears forming as she felt the comfort, strength and warmth of his touch. She had missed this.

He lowered his head to hers. She smiled up at him, expecting a respectable kiss to the cheek; they were in public after all. Yet he surprised her, not being able to stop himself from kissing his wife soundly on the lips. He had dreamt of doing so for the last four weeks and nothing would stop him showing his love in this way. He let go of her hand and instead wound his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he continued to kiss her lips, only breaking apart when they both needed to catch their breath. They gazed devotedly at the other, as she rested against him and he kissed her temple, whispering _'I love you.'_

They both felt a small hand on their face as they turned to look at their wonderful son.

"You are crying!" Charlie exclaimed, as he stroked their faces. However, he was not worried, even at his young age he knew that these were not tears of sadness. His Ma and Pa were both smiling as they cried.

"Happy tears," his Ma confirmed, reaching up to hold her son's hand. She placed a kiss to his palm as he giggled joyfully.

His Pa kissed his hair, as Charlie lay his head against the Butler's shoulder, a smile on his small face as he felt utter love from both of his parents. He remained cossetted against his Pa as the Butler took his wife's hand once more, squeezing it gently, as she picked up her basket from the ground.

"Let's go," the Butler pronounced happily, as he walked down the platform with his son in his arms and his wife's hand in his.

There had never been a more contented or prouder man.

 ** _A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update. A review would be lovely if possible x_**


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

 ** _A/N: An update to keep this fic moving ahead. Apologies for the delay- it's been a busy week. I plan to end this fic (or certainly pause it for a long while) at 50 chapters and so there's a little way to go yet. Thank you very, very much for all of your incredible support. I couldn't keep updating without it x_**

"Charles!" she gasped, as he kissed her lips sweetly again.

She swatted his chest playfully as they sat on the bench in St James's Park. She wasn't sure what had come over her husband; when they were back at Downton he would link her arm on the way to Church but all other affections were reserved for the privacy of their cottage. However, since he had met them off the train, it was as if he could barely contain his love for his wife and son.

"Pa is kissing Ma again!" Charlie exclaimed, as he sat snuggled against his Pa's side, eating his ice cream.

The Butler and Housekeeper chuckled at his comment as the little boy smiled happily, ice cream all over his lips.

They sat in the beautiful gardens of St James's Park, enjoying an impressive view of the lake and the fountain.

"Ooh there's another one," Charlie cheered, his eyes wide open in amazement at the sight of a Pelican on the lake; he had never seen such a thing before.

"They really are beautiful," Mrs Carson added contentedly.

She wasn't as familiar with London as her husband, having only visited a few times, and she had never visited St James's Park.

"They are and did you know that the Pelicans have lived in this park for almost 300 years. They were a gift from a Russian Ambassador to King Charles II," the knowledgeable Butler added.

Charlie listened intently, fascinated by this.

They had enjoyed a lovely afternoon. They had eaten lunch, sitting outside a lovely café in the sun; a real treat for the family of three. They had then wandered around the busy shopping streets of Piccadilly with Charlie barely leaving his Pa's side; understandably a little clingy after their month-long separation. They had now escaped to the more peaceful surroundings of St James's Park and were having a little rest as Charlie ate his ice cream before visiting one final destination before heading to Grantham House. Mrs Carson knew where they were going but Charlie still had no idea. The Butler was beyond happy to have his loved ones with him; London had never seemed more wonderful to Mr Carson, as he could now share the beauties of his favourite city.

"Right then Charlie, we have one more place to visit today before we go to the House and it's just beyond those trees," Mr Carson explained.

Charlie jumped up from the bench.

"What is it?"

"It is Buckingham Palace … where King George V lives!" Mr Carson said in exaggerated excitement.

Charlie squealed.

"The palace where the King lives? With the men outside in the big black hats?" He asked.

His Pa had told him all about this.

"Yes, that's right. They are the guards and they protect the Palace. We'll see them outside," Mr Carson explained.

The little boy looked like he might burst.

"Will we see the King?" he asked innocently.

Mr and Mrs Carson both chuckled at that.

"Probably not today. He is a little shy … but if we look really hard … we may see him waving to us at one of the windows," the Housekeeper added.

Charlie's mouth dropped open in astonishment. He could not believe he was going to see the Palace and the King. He had seen photographs of these in one of his Pa's books.

"Come on, let's go and see the King!" Mr Carson pronounced, thrilled that they could show their son such memorable things.

As the two adults stood, Charlie took hold of both of their hands, chatting away as they walked along the path, past the beautiful flowers beds, towards the Palace. The Butler and Housekeeper shared a loving glance, both having the same thought. _How lucky we are._

######

Mr Carson carried Charlie, as the three made their way down the steps to the Servant's entrance. The little boy's laughter echoed around the small yard, as his Ma and Pa smiled joyfully at him. Mrs Carson of course realised that they wouldn't have very much free time whilst in London, they would mostly be working. However, she was determined to steal an hour here and there to ensure she could spend some family time with her husband and son. They were also still determined to visit London Zoo as planned the following week, as well as the Houses of Parliament so that Charlie could see Big Ben. Even if they didn't get far, she was just exceptionally glad to have her husband near, along with her lovely son.

They opened the Servant's door, with Charlie still giggling at something his Pa had said. It was late afternoon and most of the Staff were carrying out their chores upstairs. However, the Cook was in the kitchen, with preparations in full swing for the Family's dinner.

"Is that my little treacle?" she shouted from out of sight in the kitchen, as soon as she heard the familiar giggles.

Charlie's eyes lit up; with the excitement of the afternoon and seeing his Pa again, he had almost forgotten he would be seeing the other staff as well as, most importantly, his favourite Cook.

Mr Carson lowered him to the floor as Mrs Carson gave him permission to go and seek out the Cook. The Butler wrapped his arm around his wife's waist as they watched him run down the corridor. When Charlie spotted the Cook, he ran as fast as he could, arms outstretched. She enveloped him in an enormous hug as he wrapped his little arms about her waist.

"Mrs Patmore!" he beamed.

"Oh treacle, I am that pleased to see you," she said, cuddling him snuggly.

He was still cuddled to her side, beaming happily, as his parents entered the kitchen.

"Oh, and you brought your Ma with you. And here's me thinking you came on your own!" the Cook joshed.

Charlie giggled ecstatically at this thought, covering his mouth with both hands.

"Mrs Patmore, I'm too little to get the train on my own," he replied.

"Get away with you, you've grown at least two feet since I last saw you! But I am very glad you've brought your Ma. We've all missed you both so much … especially your Pa," she smiled.

The Butler coughed a little to cover his blush. Mrs Carson smiled warmly.

"We've missed you Mrs Patmore. I did another picture for you on the train," he said proudly.

"Well aren't I the lucky lady, I have all of your beautiful pictures here on the wall," Mrs Patmore said, pointing to a little makeshift gallery of Charlie's drawings.

"It is lovely to see you Mrs Patmore," Mrs Carson added genuinely.

"And you Mrs Carson, I'm so glad you are here. Now, you all best get settled in your room," she said kindly.

"Our room?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, we have a lovely room upstairs. You'll be sharing with your Pa and I whilst we are in London." Mrs Carson explained, reaching out her hand to Charlie.

There were very short of space at Grantham House, even the family had to share. Fortunately, however, Mrs Bute's room was the largest. In a telephone call yesterday, Mrs Patmore had explained that they had managed to fit a double bed in the room and so the Butler would be able to share with his wife, rather than stay in his single bedroom that was usually his base whilst in London. Mr Bates and Anna already had such an arrangement and so male and female separate corridors weren't such an issue whilst in London. It was more normal for servants to be married in the capital and the Houses weren't as large as the country estates. Charlie would share with his parents; a small temporary bed having been set up in the room. They would miss the privacy that they had enjoyed back at their cottage but there was no way that they would allow Charlie to sleep on his own in this large House that was not familiar to him, even if there had been a spare room near them.

Charlie bounced up and down with excitement, as he held his Ma's hand. He couldn't wait to share a room with his Ma and Pa. His parents smiled fondly at him; everything was an adventure at his age.

"Although, I had hoped you might sleep in my room tonight Charlie. There's a spare bed that isn't being used at the moment. I thought we could have a bedtime picnic to celebrate your first night with us … and your Ma and Pa will be able to have a little cuddle on their own," she whispered cheekily, a twinkle in her eyes as she looked at the Butler and Housekeeper.

 _Bless them._ She knew they would never ask this of her but they were newly married after all. Mr and Mrs Carson both blushed at this suggestion. However, the Housekeeper could have hugged her kindly friend, even if she was mischievous and enjoying a little fun at their expense. The Housekeeper knew that Mrs Patmore had a heart of gold and her intentions were pure. The Butler coughed to clear his throat and rubbed the back of his neck furiously with one hand; he felt both mortified by the implication and absolutely delighted that he may get to spend a night alone with his wife.

"Can I Ma?" Charlie asked excitedly.

Both the Butler and Housekeeper somehow retained their calm demeanour; trying not to look too pleased.

"Of course you can my love," Mrs Carson smiled, sharing a knowing glance with the Cook and then a flirtatious smile with her husband.

The Butler's cheeks warmed further as he smiled soppily at his wife.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy this update x_**

"I love you so much Elsie," he murmured, as he wrapped his arms around his wife from behind, kissing her cheek as he pulled her closer.

She covered his arms with her own and leaned back against her husband.

"I love you too Charles," she breathed contentedly, closing her eyes for a second and feeling so grateful to be back in his arms.

His lips travelled to her neck as he covered her soft skin in kiss after kiss, growing more amorous with every touch.

Despite the lovely sensations her husband was eliciting, Mrs Carson somehow pulled herself away from the Butler, laughing happily.

"But we'll have no more of that this morning Charles Carson. We've a house to run … and a son to find!" she beamed, turning to face him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her back to him as she rolled her eyes playfully. This time she faced her husband and rested her hands on his chest. It was six thirty in the morning and they were dressed for the day. The Housekeeper couldn't believe that Charlie hadn't interrupted them before now; he was always awake by this time. _God bless Mrs Patmore_ , she thought to herself with a smile.

The Butler kissed her forehead gently.

"Last night was wonderful Els," he whispered, feeling slightly caddish for making such a reference but wanting his wife to know how happy she made him.

The Housekeeper blushed, her cheeks a little pink. They never usually discussed such things but she was secretly delighted. _And it really had been wonderful_ , she thought blissfully. She reached up and kissed his lips, deliberately nipping his lower lip gently between her teeth to wordlessly let her husband know that she most certainly agreed.

She then pulled away and walked purposefully to the door, directing a flirtatious glance over her shoulder at her joyful man who looked happy as a lark.

"Time to face the world …" she teased, opening the door.

"And Mrs Patmore's cheek …" he replied, as he followed his wife.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be good," the Housekeeper added, not sure of any such thing.

######

"Morning Ma! Morning Pa!" Charlie exclaimed, as his Ma entered the Servant's Hall, with his Pa just behind her. The little boy was in the middle of eating some porridge, sitting with some of the other Staff at the table.

"Morning my little button," the Housekeeper beamed, as she walked around the table to take the seat beside her son.

Charlie giggled as always; his Ma really did call him funny names.

She kissed his hair and soothed his face with her hand. He leant his face comfortingly against his Ma's palm.

"Did you enjoy your bedtime picnic?" she asked, as Mr Carson also came to kiss his son's hair, tickling his side as he did so. The little boy chuckled and beamed at his parents.

The other Staff were getting more used to seeing this softer side of the Butler, however it often still surprised them.

"It was the best! We even had chocolate strawberries!" he gasped, his eyes alight with excitement.

His parents chuckled, as Mr Carson made his way to the head of the table.

"You are looking sprightly this morning Mr Carson. You must have slept well," teased Mrs Patmore, having just entered the Servant's Hall.

Mrs Carson almost choked on the sip of tea she had just taken, as her husband glanced at her, his eyebrows raised to high heaven.

######

"Where's my little tinker?" Mr Carson cheered, as he entered the Housekeeper's sitting room.

"I'm here!" Charlie shouted from the settee.

"I can hear him but I can't see him," the Butler joked.

Mrs Carson, who was working at her desk, shook her head fondly at her daft man.

Charlie jumped off the settee and ran across the room to him, pulling at his Pa's waistcoat.

"I'm here Pa!" he giggled.

The Butler still pretended that he still couldn't see him, exaggeratingly searching the room, lifting cushions on the settee and peering under the desk. His son happily followed him around the room, giggling loudly and growing more animated by the second as he tried to get his Pa's attention.

"Oh, there you are!" the Butler finally exclaimed, sweeping him up from the floor and cuddling the little boy.

"Have you come to play Pa?" Charlie asked hopefully. He had hardly seen his Pa over the last few days.

"I'm afraid not son, I've got to go back upstairs in a moment. I just wanted to see you before you go to sleep," he said, holding his son close. Charlie wrapped his arms around his Pa's shoulders.

The Butler looked over Charlie's head towards his wife. They shared an understanding glance. They were both so glad that their little family were all in the same House but it was very frustrating to barely get any time alone together. The build-up to Lady Rose's presentation to the King had meant dinner party after dinner party. The Family entertained every evening and often these gatherings lasted until the early hours. The Butler had got used to creeping into their bedroom very late at night, trying to get changed into his nightclothes and into bed without waking his wife and son. His days were even longer than when he was at Downton. Mrs Carson too was run off her feet with preparations for the Ball that was yet to come, as well as trying to raise the standards in all areas at Grantham House to match her own impeccable expectations. She would not speak ill of Mrs Bute; they simply ran things differently, Mrs Carson thought tactfully.

"Why are you always upstairs?" Charlie asked sadly.

The Butler's heart panged with guilt; he knew he had hardly spent any quality time with his son over the last week. It was a little easier for the Housekeeper to spend time with her son, as she could often have Charlie with her whilst she worked.

Mrs Carson came across the room to join them.

"I have my work to do Charlie. But I promise it won't always be so busy," the Butler said encouragingly.

"That's right. Your Pa is working so hard and we are very lucky to all be together in London Charlie," the Housekeeper said cheerfully, soothing her son's back.

Charlie nodded but he still looked a little sad.

"And we have London Zoo in three days' time!" the Butler added.

 _Come hell or high water, I am not cancelling that_ , he thought. The Butler hadn't had a day off in weeks and they had been looking forward to this visit so much.

Charlie brightened immediately at this thought.

"To see the monkeys and the lions!" Charlie gasped excitedly, laughing when his Pa pretended to roar like a lion.

"And the stripy zebras!" Mrs Carson added, knowing zebras were a favourite of her son.

They had a story book with pictures of all different animals and he always turned to the pages with the zebras and lions first. Charlie beamed at the thought of seeing these animals.

Mr Carson felt comforted that his son was happy again and so he kissed his forehead and then lowered him to the floor. Charlie took hold of his Ma's hand and rested against her side. The Butler leaned forward and gave his wife a sweet kiss on the lips.

"You both enjoy your evening and Charlie, you take care of your Ma now won't you?" the Butler said seriously, winking secretly at Mrs Carson.

Charlie gave a huge nod. The little boy had the kindest heart and he loved to be given a job to do.

"Come and sit on the settee Ma and I'll make you a cup of tea," he said confidently, despite obviously never having made a cup of tea.

"Will you now?" she asked in amusement, sitting down on the settee, as Mr Carson chuckled from the doorway.

"Yep!" he said, about to reach for the teapot.

His Ma gently caught his hand before he did so.

"How about I pour the tea and you go and get us some biscuits from Mrs Patmore?" she suggested.

"Ooh yes!" he shouted, heading for the door. He scooted past his Pa with a grin.

"I'll try not to be too late Els," the Butler sighed wearily, now that his son was out of earshot.

"Don't worry love, it can't be helped," she reassured, rising from her seat and walking across to her husband.

A quick glance down the corridor to ensure no-one was around and she kissed him softly on the lips once more.

"Wake me up for a cuddle if I'm asleep," she whispered, as her husband grinned from ear to ear.

######

"Look at those two," Mrs Carson smiled warmly, as she linked arms with her husband.

Charlie and Sybbie held hands and walked in front of the Housekeeper and Butler. The two were dressed smartly in their coats and hats and they chatted away enthusiastically about the monkeys and zebras they had just seen. They were now heading for the penguin enclosure and they couldn't have been any more excited had they been meeting King George V himself.

Mr Branson had arrived back in London the previous day and Charlie had asked his parents if Sybbie could come with them to the zoo. As expected, the Butler had been a little hesitant; it was not the normal way of things for two servants to take a member of the Family on an outing, however, the Housekeeper had persuaded her husband. Miss Sybbie was a little girl after all and she would love seeing the animals just as much as Charlie and children don't have any concept of social status or what is the done thing, she had reasoned. Mr Branson had been delighted for his little girl to go with the Carsons; there were no two people on earth who he'd trust more with her care.

"Are we nearly there Pa?" Charlie asked, very proud that his Pa seemed to know his way around the zoo so well.

"We are … it is just around this corner and I think we'll be in time to see the Penguins eating their lunch," the Butler explained with a grin.

Sybbie and Charlie's mouths opened wide in anticipation, their eyes sparkling.

"What do they eat?" Sybbie asked.

"They only eat fish. Lots and lots of fish," Mr Carson explained.

The two children both scrunched their faces at that; neither liked fish very much and they certainly didn't like the thought of eating nothing else but fish.

"I'm glad I'm not a penguin!" Charlie stated seriously, making Sybbie giggle.

Mr and Mrs Carson grinned warmly at their son.

"So am I, otherwise Miss Sybbie and I would have to eat your ice cream later as well as our own," Mrs Carson joked, winking at the little girl who grinned happily.

Charlie laughed loudly, shaking his head cheerfully. _No-one was having his ice-cream!_

"Now, let's go and see some penguins," Mr Carson chuckled, as the two children skipped ahead.

Mrs Carson squeezed the Butler's arm, a teasing smile on her lips.

"What?" he asked; delighted to see the twinkle in his wife's eyes.

"Nothing," she replied, trying to keep a straight face.

"Out with it!" he demanded happily.

"It's just that, when you are all dressed up in your finery in the evenings, I've often thought that _you_ look like a penguin!" she said, bursting into glorious laughter as she watched his mouth drop open.

He shook his head fondly, as they quickened their pace to catch up with the children, his wife still chuckling at his side.


	45. Chapter 45

**_A/N: Thank you for your reviews for my last chapter. I didn't get a chance to thank you all personally as I usually do but I appreciated each and every review so much xxx_**

Chapter 45

Mrs Carson was working at the desk in Mrs Bute's sitting-room, taking advantage of the late afternoon calm to catch-up on some paperwork. Charlie sat on her knee, happily drawing a picture as she worked on the House accounts. Every so often she would tickle his side or kiss his hair and he would giggle with delight. However, for the most part, the two were very content simply to sit in silence, both focusing on their own task.

"Is tomorrow the big party upstairs Ma?" Charlie eventually asked, knowing the Ball was sometime soon.

"It is love, tomorrow will be a very busy day but then it won't be long until we all go back to Downton," she explained, smiling down at her son.

He scrunched his face in excitement; he had enjoyed London but he couldn't wait until they all went home to Downton. Mrs Carson couldn't wait either; she was so looking forward to be being back in their cottage, just the three of them.

"Will Pa be back soon?" Charlie asked.

"He will love, he shouldn't be long. He had an errand to run but he'll be back soon and then we'll have afternoon tea together," she said, laughing lightly as her son's face lit up with delight at this thought.

 _He has a sweet tooth just like his father,_ she thought happily. Her thoughts then turned to the Butler's errand; she hoped it had gone well.

######

"Well?" she asked, as the Butler stood in the doorway to her sitting-room.

"Where's Charlie?" he asked, needing to make sure he wasn't close by.

She could see that her husband looked pleased, therefore she was hopeful it was good news.

"He's just helping Mrs Patmore with some shortbreads, he'll be back soon and so we don't have long," she explained, as Mr Carson closed the door.

He could hardly contain his excitement, as he reached out to hold his wife's hand. As she stood, she looked at him with a hopeful heart.

"The solicitor doesn't think we'll have any difficulties at all Els. He thinks it will be quite an easy and speedy process … we should be able to get all of the paperwork completed whilst we are still in London …" he began, grinning soppily at his wife.

Mrs Carson gasped with joy, a flood of relief washing over her.

"So, we can both adopt Charlie?" she asked, seeking absolute confirmation.

"Yes. He explained that if one of Charlie's biological parents were still alive, they would have to relinquish parental responsibility for us to formally adopt Charlie and it would be a much lengthier process. But because Ethel was the only named parent on his birth certificate and because she is obviously deceased, it means that there is nothing in our way … and because Ethel named you as legal guardian before she died, it makes the process even quicker," he explained.

The Housekeeper beamed with happiness, as her husband gathered her in his arms; holding her closely as they both celebrated this wonderful news.

It was something they had discussed for a while now. Mrs Carson was Charlie's legal guardian. This gave her temporary responsibility for Charlie until he was eighteen years old. Of course, given that Charlie had no parents alive, this would in reality be a permanent arrangement and certainly the Housekeeper had always viewed her responsibility for Charlie as a lifelong commitment. However, the Carsons wanted to make it truly permanent by formally adopting Charlie. Of course, this also meant that both Mr and Mrs Carson could then be named as Charlie's adopted parents, rather than just the Housekeeper, which was what they both wanted more than anything in the world.

"Charles that's wonderful," she exclaimed, her voice quivering with emotion, as she hugged her husband.

They both stood in the centre of the room, still holding each other.

Despite her happiness, a niggling thought emerged; she had voiced this previously to her husband but she thought she should voice it one more time.

"And you still think we are doing the right thing in not mentioning the Bryants?" she asked anxiously.

She worried that they were somehow being dishonest. This process would be speedy because Charlie's biological mother had died and she had no known relatives. However, both the Butler and Housekeeper knew that Major Bryant did have relatives who were alive and well.

"Els, Major Bryant isn't on the birth certificate. He didn't acknowledge that he was Charlie's father and he is now deceased. Mr and Mrs Bryant also did not acknowledge that Charlie was their son's child. We don't even know for sure that he was …" he said, repeating the words he had said to his wife when they'd discussed this previously.

He had no concerns at all about the Bryants; they had not wanted anything to do with Charlie and the reality was, they only had Ethel's word from many years ago that Major Bryant actually was the boy's father. The Butler did not want to be unkind but there was no way they could be sure that Ethel had been telling the truth; she may have had other liaisons.

"Oh Charles! We do know. Ethel was certain that he was the father, even if she didn't name him on the birth certificate," she replied.

The Housekeeper didn't want anything to stand in the way of them adopting Charlie; her heart would break if anything was ever to stop this happening but she did feel a little uneasy about the Bryants. She couldn't quite force them from her mind as easily as Charles could, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Well there's no proof. And he's our son Elsie, we love him, we are devoted to him and he loves us. They would not even acknowledge him. I don't have even a shred of unease or guilt and neither should you. They don't deserve a second thought. Ethel was the only one of Charlie's biological parents that cared for him and of all the people on earth, including the Bryants, she chose you to care for Charlie when she died. She chose you because she knew you would be a wonderful mother to her son. Charlie could not wish for a more loving mother, or, I hope, a more loving father. And we now can make it official. He'll be our son forever," he finished breathlessly.

Mrs Carson's smile had grown wider and wider as her husband spoke, her heart swelling with pride and love. Of course, he was right. They had nothing to reproach themselves for; they were Charlie's parents, it was what Ethel wanted, it was what they wanted and it was what Charlie wanted.

"Charlie could not have a more wonderful father Charles, nor I a more wonderful husband … we are both very blessed," she said, reaching upwards to kiss his lips.

When they broke from their kiss, he rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you Elsie and I love Charlie … you are both my world," he soothed, as she caressed his face with her hand.

"And you are our world my love, so let's get that paperwork completed without delay," she beamed.

The Butler smiled gloriously, lifting his wife in the air as he held her to him. The Housekeeper was taken by surprise by this action, as she laughed joyously at her daft but lovely man.

"Ma, Pa … what are you doing?" Charlie asked, as he pushed the door open and walked into the room; his eyes were wide open as he watched his Pa lift his Ma in the air.

Mr Carson gently placed his wife back on her feet.

"Oh, there's our boy," the Butler exclaimed brightly, swooping Charlie into the air, much to the little boy's delight.

Both of his parents hugged him closely, as the three stood in a huddle in the centre of the room. Charlie chuckled happily as his Ma ran her fingers through his hair, kissing his cheek whilst his Pa kissed his hair. The boy was cocooned with love.

"We love you Charlie, so very much," Mrs Carson said tenderly, holding the little boy's face in her hand, as his father still held him in the air. The Butler also held his wife lovingly at the waist.

"I love you too Ma and you Pa," he replied, smiling at them both.

"And we will love you forever and ever and ever and ever," the Butler declared, kissing his son's face exaggeratedly and making funny noises as he did so.

Charlie shrieked with laughter, as his Pa's kisses tickled him. Mrs Carson smiled devotedly at her husband and son. _Forever,_ she thought blissfully.

######

It had been a frantically busy few days, with Lady Rose's Ball and all that entailed. The staff had also enjoyed a day out at the seaside, as a thank you from Her Ladyship for all of their efforts. Charlie had been in his element all day, paddling in the sea with his Ma and Pa, building sandcastles with Mr Molesley and Miss Baxter and playing football with Mr Barrow and some of the hall boys. All of the Staff had spoiled the little boy, enjoying his company, and his Ma and Pa had even managed to get some time on their own, paddling together as they held hands and ventured a little deeper into the sea. Mrs Patmore and Daisy had made a wonderful picnic for them all and Charlie had eventually fallen asleep after a long and wonderful day, cuddled against his Ma as he lay on the blanket. His Pa had carried him back to the train station; their happy yet tired little boy having experienced another memorable day.

They would all be heading back to Downton in two days' time, as the Season came to an end, but the Carson's had one more thing to complete before returning to Yorkshire. Today, they would sign the final adoption papers that would make them legally, and forever more, Charlie's parents. They had been very careful in their explanation to Charlie; they didn't want him to think that he wasn't already their son, because he mostly certainly was, but he understood that this would make him their son forever and he was beside himself with excitement. They were currently walking to the solicitor's office, with Charlie holding both of his parents' hands, and they had planned a special meal for the three of them to celebrate, once all of the papers had been signed. If they could have avoided it, they probably wouldn't have told Charlie anything about this process, as they would never want to unsettle him, but he had had to meet the solicitor and an official from the children's board the previous week, to ensure he was happy with this decision. The officials had been very caring towards Charlie and they had kept the meeting very relaxed and brief; they could see immediately how happy Charlie was and the little boy couldn't stop talking about how much he loved his Ma and Pa. Therefore, today was simply a formality but one that would make their small family official and complete.

"Hello Charlie, nice to see you again … and I'm glad you've brought your Ma and Pa along with you," the kindly solicitor said, welcoming the three into his office.

Charlie giggled, shaking the man's proffered hand.

Mrs Carson sat down, lifting Charlie to sit on her knee, as her husband sat on the chair beside them. The solicitor then began to take them through the final papers.

Charlie held his Ma's hand throughout, as his Pa filled in most of the forms. The little boy was beyond excited, as were his parents.

"And one final signature here from you Mrs Carson," the solicitor requested.

The Housekeeper gladly signed the paper, cuddling her son closer as he grinned at her, as she shared a knowing gaze with her husband. This was it, Charlie was now officially their son. The solicitor confirmed this with a silent nod to the parents, allowing them to share the good news with their son.

"All done?" Charlie asked, turning to face his parents expectantly.

Mr Carson moved his seat closer to his wife and wrapped his arm around her, as they both also wound an arm around Charlie, holding him lovingly.

"All done my love, you are now our son forever and ever," Mrs Carson announced, as Charlie squealed, reaching upwards and wrapping his arms around his Ma and Pa.

Mr and Mrs Carson's eyes filled with tears as they held their son, his small arms grasping their necks. They both kissed his cheek over and over again as he bubbled with joy.

Charlie eventually sat back on his Ma's knee, gazing happily at his parents with the most beautiful smile, as they both continued to hold him close.

"Our son, Charlie Parks Carson," the Housekeeper exclaimed, tapping his nose fondly, as the little boy gasped excitedly again.

Mr Carson gulped back his emotions on hearing his son's new name.

 _Forever their son._

 ** _A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A review would be lovely if you have time and thank you for your wonderful support so far x_**


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

 ** _A/N: Hope you are still enjoying this. Sorry for the delays in updating- it's a busy time for me at the moment. Thank you for all of your support and four more chapters to go after this! x_**

"Here comes trouble!" Mr Carson grinned, as he and his wife lay in bed, listening to the little footsteps approaching their bedroom door.

The door opened and their precious son stood in the doorway in his pyjamas.

"Morning sweetheart," Mrs Carson gasped, as Charlie scrunched his face in delight, running to his Ma's side of the bed and clambering up to join them.

He first cuddled his Ma and then scooted over her, into the middle of the bed, as he reached up to hug his Pa too.

"Morning!" he shouted, as they lifted the blanket to allow him to snuggle underneath.

He lay back against the pillows as they both rested a hand on his tummy, his small hands resting on top of theirs. They had been back in Downton just two days and they had all enjoyed settling back into their routines. This particular morning custom was one of their favourite parts of the day. Charlie knew that he had to wait until 6 o'clock before coming through to his parent's room and they had taught him to recognise this time on the clock in his bedroom. He always woke a little before this and so by the time the big hand pointed upwards and the small hand pointed downwards, he was a little bundle of excitement, desperate to join his parents in their bedroom. After a short morning snuggle together they would rise, dress and enjoy breakfast together before heading to the Abbey.

His Ma lay back on her pillow, facing her son.

"Did you sleep well love?" she said, her arm resting over him protectively.

"Yep Ma. And I dreamt I was a prince in a big castle!" he explained, as his Pa ruffled his hair.

"Did you? And were you married to a princess?" Mrs Carson teased, knowing he would find this idea quite disgusting.

"Urghh, no Ma!" he gasped, scrunching his face again as she knew he would.

His parents chuckled at him, his Pa tickling his side.

Charlie screeched happily, climbing up to lie on his Pa's chest. Mr Carson held his son closely as Charlie lay on top of him contentedly. The little boy's breathing calmed as his laughter eased. The Butler raised his free arm to encourage his wife to move closer, tucking into his side. Mrs Carson pulled the blanket up higher as the family of three enjoyed a few blissful moments together before starting their day.

######

"Hello love, nice visit to the Village?" Mr Carson asked, as his wife popped into his pantry, still in her coat and hat.

He stood from his desk to greet his wife.

"Yes, lovely Charles. I got all of my errands accomplished and we fed the ducks on the way back, so Charlie enjoyed himself," she smiled, reaching up to kiss her husband on the cheek.

The Butler grinned in return, knowing how much his son loved visiting the ducks at the lake.

"And where is our little monkey?" he asked.

"He's taken a parcel we collected for Mrs Patmore through to her," she explained.

"So, we have a couple of minutes on our own?" he questioned.

"We do …" she smiled, noting his mischievous smile.

"Good, because there is something I wanted to discuss with you," he said, stepping past his wife and closing the door behind her.

She turned to face him.

"And what's that?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"This …" he said, sliding both of his arms around her waist and leaning down to take her lips into his mouth. As he drew the Housekeeper close to him, he kissed and teased her lips passionately.

The Butler had managed to take his wife completely by surprise, as she stumbled backwards a little. Of course, he held her securely, pulling his wife even closer and continuing to kiss her fiercely.

"Charles!" she exclaimed against his lips. _Anyone could walk in after all._

"I haven't even taken off my coat!" she added, as her husband rumbled with laughter, breaking the kiss, as he raised one of his hands to caress the Housekeeper's face.

They stood only inches apart, their hurried breaths merging as they smiled at each other.

"I've wanted to do that all morning," he explained, placing sweet, soft kisses to her cheeks, her nose and a special kiss to her neck, just below her right earlobe. This was a spot that her husband of only a few months had identified as a place she loved to be kissed.

"Charles," she gasped breathlessly.

He grinned at her smugly, knowing that she was now as enthralled as him. She observed his expression, slapping his chest playfully and pushing him away.

"Goodness me Charles Carson, this will never do," she chastened softly. Yet something in the flushed pink of her skin and the glint in her eyes, told him she was delighted with his unexpected forwardness.

The Butler grinned at his wife, as she brushed imaginary specks of dust from her coat, allowing herself to calm. He reached out and took her hand in his, as they stood gazing at each other, now a suitable gap between them. It wasn't always easy to retain a distance from each other at the House, even though they had had years of practice.

"Until tonight Mr Carson," she said daringly, squeezing his hand and then walking to the door with a spring in her step. She shot a cheeky glance over her shoulder to him as she left the room.

He gulped, feeling that familiar flush of anticipation. _Until tonight_ , he thought dreamily.

######

The Staff sat around the Servant's table eating their dinner. Charlie sat his in chair, between his Ma and Pa.

"So, what have you been learning about this afternoon then Charlie?" Mr Barrow asked kindly, knowing that Charlie and the Housekeeper or Butler always read or studied together for an hour or two every afternoon.

Charlie's face lit up; he loved to share what he had learned. All of the Staff looked towards him with tender smiles.

"I learned about the dinosaurs. They were here millions and millions of years ago," he said excitedly.

His Ma and Pa smiled at him proudly.

"And what is your favourite dinosaur?" Mr Molesley asked.

"It's the Tyran … umm … Tyran … nano … what was it Pa? The really big, scary one?" he asked, placing his hand on the Butler's large hand.

"The Tyrannosaurus Rex," the Butler smiled, winking at his son.

"That's it and … and Ma likes the little fast one, don't you?" Charlie giggled, grinning up at his Ma.

His Ma actually knew nothing about dinosaurs, she would leave that particular topic to her husband, but she had walked in on the pair as they were learning about these creatures and Charlie had asked her to point to the one in the book that she liked best.

"The Velociraptor," she said knowledgeably, earning her a proud nod from her son and an amused glance from her husband. _Well remembered_ , he thought.

"That's a funny name," Charlie added, chuckling joyfully.

"Well you are a clever boy, learning so much," Anna added, smiling happily at Charlie.

"You could be a History teacher when you grow up Charlie," Mr Molesley added.

The little boy nodded.

"I might be a teacher," he said, as he lifted a huge forkful of stew into his mouth.

The Butler and Housekeeper shared a glance; he had never said that before. They really did not mind what he did when he was older; they were simply determined to ensure their son gained an excellent education so that he had many options open to him and they certainly wanted him to gain a profession of some sort. The world was changing and they wanted their boy to have a bright future.

"I thought you wanted to be a train driver," Mr Barrow added with a smile.

Charlie looked up at the Under-Butler, quite happy to be the chatting away with the adults in the room.

"I haven't decided yet … I might be a train driver or a History teacher or I might work in a sweet shop … or maybe all of them!" he chuckled, resting his head against his Ma as she leaned down and kissed his hair.

"Well you have plenty of time to decide," she soothed.

"Or I might be a Buteler like Pa!" he added, his eyes sparkling as he looked at his Pa.

The Butler chuckled happily. Charlie couldn't quite say this word yet and his pronunciation was very endearing.

"Oh, you'll be something much better than a Butler," Mr Carson smiled modestly.

Neither he nor his wife wanted their son to be in service; he was destined for much more than that.

"I think being a Buteler is good- you get to be in charge and you get to sit in the best seat and you get to have Ma looking after you," Charlie added seriously, as he continued to eat his stew.

The Housekeeper and most of the Staff laughed fondly at this summary.

"Quite right," Mrs Carson grinned, patting her son's leg and smiling at her husband's blushing face.

The Butler shook his head in amusement.

"Anyway, let's focus on your schooling first, then you can decide what you want to do once you are a little bit older, hmm?" Mr Carson said, looking at his son lovingly.

"Uh-hum," Charlie agreed.

"We actually bumped into Mr Dawes in the Village today and so Charlie met his new Headmaster, didn't you?" Mrs Carson added.

She had forgotten to tell her husband this earlier, given the Butler had had more passionate things on his mind.

Charlie nodded again.

"Yep, he was nice," he said, placing his knife and fork back on his plate, his tummy full for the moment.

The Butler looked pleased.

"When do you start school Charlie?" Miss Baxter asked. All of the Staff shared a real interest in the young lad.

"In three weeks!" he said, looking to his Ma for confirmation.

"That's right, three weeks and our little tinker will be going to school with all of the big boys and girls. What an adventure!" the Housekeeper beamed.

Charlie bounced up and down in his seat, full of enthusiasm. He was a naturally bright boy and his Ma and Pa had already developed a love of learning in the little one; he could not wait to go to school. The Staff around the table smiled wonderfully at him, as his parents' hearts filled with love.

 ** _A/N: A review would be lovely x_**


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

 ** _A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews for the last chapter- they keep me writing. We are very loosely going to touch on some Series 5 topics in the remaining chapters (the timeline of my story no longer fits with canon but we did reach the end of Series 4 with the Season and the trip to Brighton beach and so I felt I had to move through to Series 5) x_**

"Mrs Patmore, would you be able to provide some sandwiches and beers for the men setting up the stalls?" Mrs Carson asked, as she hurried through to the kitchen.

"Yes of course Mrs Carson, we'll do that now. The weather looks promising, let's hope it holds up until tomorrow," the Cook added pleasantly.

"Yes, please god. I think I must have been mad to agree to this just two weeks after returning from the Season but Her Ladyship wants this summer fete to the best yet. Therefore, we must pull out all of the stops," Mrs Carson sighed.

The Housekeeper wouldn't moan to any other Staff like this, only to her husband or the Cook, as she knew she could trust them both implicitly.

"You need to take it easy. You'll do yourself an injury the way you are running about," the Cook worried.

"Oh, I'll be fine. It's almost done now … the preparations are the most taxing part but tomorrow should be more relaxing. I am looking forward to showing Charlie around the fete … he's never been to one," she smiled, as she thought about her son.

"Aww … he'll love it," the Cook smiled.

######

"Now remember, quiet as a mouse when we go upstairs. The idea is that no one knows we are there," the Butler mock-whispered, as he held his son's hand and they ascended the Servant's stairs.

Charlie giggled at this, quickly covering his mouth with his free hand to muffle his laughter. The Butler raised his eyebrows at his son good-naturedly, making Charlie giggle even more.

Charlie never accompanied the Butler during his work upstairs, this would be highly inappropriate. However, Mr Carson had seen how busy his wife was with preparations for the fete and so he had offered to take Charlie with him for the morning. The boy had once visited the Library upstairs and loved it and so his Pa had promised another visit. Mr Carson also wanted to check the dining hall preparations, to ensure the lunch service was prepared to his high standards. He knew that His Lordship and his wife were visiting the Dowager and Mr Branson and Lady Mary had travelled to Ripon for the day, and therefore with only Lady Rose and Lady Edith in the House, he had judged it safe for his son to accompany him.

The two walked across the Great Hall to the Library. Charlie's mouth hung open and his eyes widened as he took in the grand surroundings. Mr Carson smiled down at him as he gently pulled his distracted son towards the Library.

They entered the Library, closing the door behind them, and finally Mr Carson felt they could relax. No-one would hear them now.

"Here we are Charlie, look at all of these books!" Mr Carson said, hoping to enthuse his son.

"Oh Pa, there must be millions! Have you read all of these books?" Charlie asked, as he let go of his Pa's hand and skipped around the room staring at the shelves.

The Butler rumbled with laughter.

"I haven't read them all but I have read many of them. In fact, I think your Ma has probably read even more than me," Mr Carson added truthfully.

He may have been at Downton longer than his wife but she always had at least two books on the go at any one time. Whilst he would read the newspapers daily, she preferred to read fiction and so, ultimately, she had read more books from this Library than her husband.

Charlie smiled proudly.

"David said that boys are cleverer than girls but that cannot be true because Ma is a girl and she is really clever," Charlie said seriously, referring to one of the hall boys.

The little boy often played football with Mr Barrow and these younger lads. Mr Carson could just imagine David saying such a thing; he had a good heart but he wasn't the brightest lad. _Mrs Carson will have something to say to the hall boy once she hears this,_ Mr Carson thought happily. He loved the spark of his wife.

"Quite right. Girls are just as clever as boys. And your Ma is the cleverest of them all!" Mr Carson stated happily, as Charlie beamed, nodding furiously.

The Butler then watched as his son scrunched his face in thought.

"Pa, why is Sybbie not going to school like me?" he asked.

In just under one week, Charlie would be starting at Downton Village School.

Mr Carson stalled at that; it was a very good question but how did he explain to his son that the children of gentry rarely went to school, particularly girls.

"Let's sit down son," he said, motioning to one of the settees in the room.

Even as they were sitting, Mr Carson couldn't help but think of his wife. He knew she would smile at the thought of her proper, traditional husband sitting down on a sofa upstairs.

Charlie skipped across to his Pa, laughing joyously as the Butler lifted him high in the air before depositing him on the sofa.

"You see, Miss Sybbie's family own this House. They are Lords and Ladies and so she will be taught some lessons here at the House rather than go to school. Lords and Ladies don't have to work like other people because they have their big houses to run instead," the Butler explained, not wanting to make it sound like the gentry were idle in any way.

"But you and Ma run this House … what do they do?" Charlie asked perceptively.

The Butler coughed. Again, he knew his wife would enjoy this conversation.

"They help run it too, they make decisions … but it does mean that because they don't work and have jobs like the rest of us, they don't need to go to school to get an education … they have some lessons upstairs in the nursery instead," Mr Carson continued, trying to keep it quite simple.

"Well, that is funny. Everyone should go to school and everyone should have a job! And I know Sybbie would love to come to school. And her Pa likes the school teacher … Sybbie told me," Charlie added innocently.

Mr Carson's eyebrows raised at that; something about Miss Bunting set him on edge. He decided to change the subject, focusing back on Charlie. He lifted his son onto his knee and Charlie instinctively snuggled against his Pa.

"Well the important thing is that you are going to school and your Ma and I are going to make sure that you get the best education possible. Much more than your Ma and I ever had. You can even go to university and then choose to do anything at all with your life," Mr Carson stated proudly, kissing his son's forehead.

Charlie sat back, looking up at his Pa in awe.

"What is uni … univ …" he began.

"University is the school that you go to when you are older, after your first school and your high school. It's where those who are very clever and work very hard at school go. And I have no doubt that if you want to, you could go there too," the Butler said, smiling tenderly at his son.

"I do want to! I'm going to go to uni … versity …" Charlie declared, reaching up to hug his Pa.

Mr Carson grinned happily, holding his son tightly to his chest.

######

"There you go Charlie, you won a prize!" Mr Molesley exclaimed, handing Charlie a packet of sweets.

Mrs Carson smiled kindly at the older footman; she knew that Charlie hadn't actually won a prize, he'd only managed to knock down one tin can and the caring man had given him three extra throws. However, the little boy looked thrilled and so she wouldn't dream of arguing.

"Thank you Mr Molesley," Charlie chimed.

"Shall we go and find your Pa and have some tea and cake? You can keep those sweets until later," she said to her son.

She was enjoying taking an hour to herself to show Charlie around the fete and things were going very well so far. The lawn at the front of the Abbey was awash with Villagers, as they perused the stalls selling jam, cakes and local produce and enjoyed the games. The Staff were helping with lots of the stalls and activities.

"Yes please!" he cried, reaching for his Ma's hand.

The two walked across to the Butler, who was talking to Mrs Crawley and Lady Edith.

"Mrs Crawley, Milady," Mrs Carson offered respectfully, greeting the two women.

Charlie smiled at the women, as he stood in front of his Ma, leaning backwards against her legs. He liked to stand like this whenever his Ma was chatting to others, as they could sometimes be stood there for quite some time.

"Mrs Carson, congratulations … a wonderful success as always," Lady Edith said.

"Thank you, Milady, I am pleased it is going well," she replied modestly, as her husband looked at his wife, pride in his eyes.

"And are you enjoying the fete Charlie?" Mrs Crawley asked.

"Yep! I won some sweets!" he exclaimed, holding up his bag of sweets to show them.

"Ooh, are they for me?" Mr Carson joked.

Charlie bit his lip and shook his head with a giggle.

"No Pa! But you and Ma can share them with me," Charlie added, as his parents smiled.

"Oh, that's kind," Lady Edith said warmly, as she watched the Housekeeper wrap her arm across Charlie's chest. The little boy leaned back against his Ma contentedly.

The younger woman felt an ache in her heart as she watched the Housekeeper so lovingly and openly cuddle her son. She would give anything to be able to do the same with Marigold.

Mrs Carson glanced upwards and caught Lady Edith's gaze; an unspoken understanding passing between them. Lady Edith had always reasoned that a woman with such perception like the Housekeeper, would probably have worked out her secret, despite some members of her own family still remaining oblivious.

"You have a lovely son Mr and Mrs Carson," Lady Edith offered genuinely.

Mrs Carson smiled kindly at the younger woman, nodding in acceptance.

"We certainly do," she replied softly, as her husband and son smiled brightly.

 _ **A/N: If you have time, a review would be lovely x**_


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"Right then, that should take about an hour to cook and your Pa should be home by then," Mrs Carson said, as she closed the over door, turning to smile at her son in his little apron.

Charlie had helped his Ma with the casserole; as she chopped the vegetables and meat, he placed them in the dish. The Housekeeper would never claim to be a great Cook but when they were able to get away from the House in time to have dinner at the cottage, she and Charlie enjoyed cooking together. She had taken a half day today and so the Housekeeper and her son had been at the cottage for a few hours. Unfortunately, the Butler did not have any time off work but he had promised to come home for an early dinner and then he would return to the Abbey to serve the Family's meal.

"Can we have some lemonade Ma?" Charlie asked.

She ruffled his hair fondly.

"We certainly can my little Cook. You get the glasses for us and I'll get the lemonade from the cool box," she smiled, as he beamed happily.

"Right you are," he cheered, as he skipped across to the cupboard.

Mrs Carson spluttered with laughter on hearing her young son use her familiar phrase. Her husband had joked that Charlie was even developing a Scottish lilt but she was sure this couldn't be true. However, it did amaze her, how much he naturally picked up from them both; he could even raise his eyebrows like the Butler.

Charlie placed the glasses on the table, clambering back up onto his seat as his Ma poured his drink. She sat down too, to enjoy a few moments peace with her son. He lifted his glass with both hands as he drank his lemonade. She gently stroked his hair; her heart filled with joy as she watched the contentment on Charlie's face.

"I love you Ma," he said happily, taking her by surprise.

Tears sprang to the Housekeeper's eyes.

"I love you too my sweet hen, so very much," she declared, lowering her face to kiss his soft hair.

######

The Butler opened the front door and was instantly hit by a wave of music coming from the sitting-room. He had managed to arrive home a little early. He recognised the familiar sound of the gramophone and his lips quirked into an amused smile as he heard the American jazz music that his wife enjoyed so much. Mr Branson had suggested the Carson's borrow the gramophone from the House for a couple of weeks as he knew how much Charlie enjoyed dancing to the music. The little boy and Miss Sybbie had danced in the middle of refreshment tent at the summer fete and the gramophone was hardly ever used at the House.

The Butler gently pushed the sitting-room door ajar and the sight that greeted him made his heart soar. His beautiful wife and darling son held hands as they twirled in the centre of the room, both smiling resplendently as they danced in a circle. Charlie's shrieks of joy pierced through the upbeat tune of _'Yes Sir, That's My Baby'._ He watched as his wife let go of one of Charlie's hands, so that she could twirl him under her arm. The little boy spun around, giddy with joy. A soppy smile settled on the Butler's lips as he watched the pure happiness evident before him.

"And what do we have here then?" he boomed, deciding it was time to make his presence known.

His wife and son jumped, as he took them completely by surprise. He grinned at them.

"Pa! We are dancing," Charlie answered, running to the Butler who lifted him in the air.

Mr Carson kissed Charlie's cheek and then carried his son towards his wife, kissing her cheek too. The Housekeeper was pleased to see that her husband had already removed his coat and jacket, as he stood in his waistcoat, shirt, tie and trousers.

"Are you going to dance with us Pa?" Charlie asked excitedly, as the Butler lowered him to the floor.

"Oh, I'm not sure jazz is my cup of tea," he hesitated, despite his son grasping his hand and pulling him into the centre of the room.

"Get away with ya," his wife countered, her Scottish brogue stronger than usual, as she reached up to loosen his tie.

She was rewarded with a flirtatious raise of the eyebrows at her cheek.

She grasped her husband's other hand, and reached out for Charlie's free hand.

"Let's show your Pa how much fun this jazz music is," she smiled, winking at Charlie who squealed excitedly, as he started to jump from side to side.

She too started to step back and forth in time to the music, singing along to the jaunty song. Their enjoyment was contagious and soon the Butler was stepping from side to side, dancing in his sitting-room with his wife and son.

######

A few days later, the Butler and Housekeeper were having a cup of tea in the kitchen with Mrs Patmore.

"All set for school tomorrow Charlie?" the Cook asked kindly, as she wrapped her arm around the little boy.

He rested his hand on her apron as he cuddled against her side. The Housekeeper and Butler smiled as they held their cups of tea; it was lovely to see how fond Charlie was of the Cook and vice versa.

"Yep Mrs Patmore. I have my new school bag and my pencils and books. And Ma is making me sandwiches to take for lunch. And I have a new coat," he explained.

"Well, aren't you going to be the smartest young man at school?" she cheered, tickling his side.

He giggled loudly.

"And what time does school start?" the Cook asked.

"Umm …" he stumbled.

"Nine o'clock. We will normally come to the Abbey first and then make our way from here but as tomorrow is a special day, our tinker's first day at school no less, Charlie and I are going to have breakfast a little later than usual at the cottage and walk to school from there," Mrs Carson explained.

"And Pa is going to meet us at the lane to come with us," Charlie said, eyes wide. He was very excited that both his Ma and his Pa were walking him to school on his first day.

"I certainly am, I'll come to the House for a couple of hours and then I'll meet you at the lane," the Butler answered proudly.

Charlie's face lit up.

"Well, little button, you are the brightest boy I know and so I am sure you are going to love school," Mrs Patmore added warmly, making Charlie smile even more brightly.

######

"Good luck tomorrow Charlie. We'll see you after school," Miss Baxter said kindly, as Charlie nodded happily.

He was snugly wrapped up in his coat and scarf as he and his parents said their goodbyes for the evening, about to walk home. Several staff sat around the Servant's table, reading books, enjoying a cup of tea or simply chatting.

"Yes, we hope you have a wonderful day. You enjoy it Charlie," Anna added.

Charlie smiled again. He then looked upwards when he heard the Under-Butler cough. Mr Barrow knelt down in front of the small lad.

"And here's a little gift from me to wish you well tomorrow," Mr Barrow smiled, feeling somewhat embarrassed to be showing such a soft side in front of the other Staff.

"Oh, for me? Thank you, Mr Barrow," Charlie gasped, leaning forward to hug the Under-Butler.

Mr Barrow looked touched by Charlie's obvious affection for him, as he held the little boy gently in his arms.

Charlie leant backwards, looking excitedly at the gift that was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string.

"You can open it," Mrs Carson soothed, smiling first at her son and then smiling tenderly at Mr Barrow.

As Charlie unwrapped the gift, the Under-Butler explained that it was some new colouring pencils for school and a pencil tin to keep them in.

Charlie couldn't have been more pleased than if he had received the crown jewels, as he thanked Mr Barrow again.

"Yes, thank you, Mr Barrow, that was most kind of you," Mr Carson rumbled, not used to showing gratitude towards the Under-Butler.

"My pleasure," he replied, gulping back his emotions.

"Well then little monkey, let's get you home to bed. You have a big day tomorrow," Mrs Carson smiled enthusiastically, as Charlie grasped his Ma's hand and grinned excitedly.

######

"Right then tiger, let's get you into your pyjamas and then a bedtime story, eh?" Mr Carson said.

He had volunteered to get Charlie washed and dressed for bed whilst his wife finished her glass of wine. She would join them for the story; they both loved the precious time they spent with their son at bedtime.

The Butler was immediately alerted that something was wrong when Charlie didn't react excitedly to the promise of a bedtime story. He was such a happy little boy and he never failed to show enthusiasm about even the smallest of things. Mr Carson watched as Charlie looked down at his feet.

"Hey now, what's wrong Charlie?" Mr Carson asked, full of concern. This was so unlike their son; he was always so joyful.

"Nothing," the little boy whispered, as he scuffed his foot on the floor.

The Butler sat down on his son's bed, and lifted Charlie to sit on his knee.

"Now, you do know that whatever is troubling you, I can make it better," Mr Carson promised.

Charlie looked up at his Pa hopefully. His Ma and Pa always made him feel better if he was ever upset.

"What if no one likes me at school? What if no one wants to be my friend?" he asked quietly.

The Butler was shocked by this; his son had been looking forward to going to school for weeks and he had never shown even the slightest concern, until tonight.

"Oh Charlie, that's just not possible. You are such a likeable little fella. Look how everyone loves you at the Abbey," the Butler reassured.

"But they are grown-ups, not little like me," he added seriously.

Mr Carson smiled weakly at that.

"Well Miss Sybbie likes you very much, and she is little like you," the Butler tried.

"But she's not coming to school and I don't know the boys from the Village," Charlie continued.

Mr Carson realised this was true; they were so isolated from the Village in many ways whilst working at the Abbey.

"Charlie, there will be lots of children starting school tomorrow. And I am sure most of the children are a little anxious. But you are such a bright boy and you are kind and generous. You are going to make so many friends, I promise," Mr Carson soothed, kissing his son's forehead.

"You really think they'll like me?" he asked, more hopeful now.

"Like you? You are Charlie Parks Carson … they are going to love you!" the Butler declared triumphantly.

Charlie giggled.

"You are the most wonderful boy in the entire world, no one could possible dislike you Charlie. And it may take a little time to get to know everyone but why don't you help the others and if you see anyone on their own, go up to them and say hello. You'll make them feel very happy and you'll also make a new friend," the Butler suggested, knowing how much his son liked to be given a job to do.

"I will! I will help the other boys and girls," he declared, any remaining anxieties finally gone.

"That's my boy," Mr Carson said, as Charlie jumped up to collect his pyjamas.

His wife sighed with relief as she rested against the doorframe, just outside the bedroom. She had listened nervously as her dear, sweet husband comforted their lovely boy. She wouldn't show it of course but she was every bit as anxious as Charlie. It was such a big step for him, his first day at school.

She moved to the doorway and caught her husband's gaze. As if reading her mind, he winked at her reasuringly. _He will be fine,_ he said wordlessly. She nodded tenderly, hoping that her husband was right.

 ** _A/N: Two more chapters after this. Hope you enjoyed this update x_**


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

 ** _A/N: The penultimate update for you (make sure you read Chapter 48 too- I posted them very close together). I will post a final chapter during the week. Thank you for all of your reviews, including those from guest reviewers. Your support and reviews mean the world to me. Hope you enjoy this chapter x_**

"You look so smart love," Mrs Carson smiled, as she fastened up Charlie's new coat.

Her son smiled at her; he still felt a little apprehensive but he was also excited for his first day at school.

"And here's your satchel," she said, as she placed it over his shoulder.

"All set," he said sweetly.

"Indeed you are. I've got your lunch box and so the only other thing we need to collect is your Pa!" she joked, making Charlie giggle.

The Housekeeper then noticed a fleeting glimpse of hesitation on her son's face.

"Are you still feeling worried sweetheart?" she asked softly, reaching out to hold his hands.

"A little bit Ma. I have a funny feeling in my tummy," he smiled.

"Ahh well that will be the butterflies," Mrs Carson said.

Charlie scrunched his face in puzzlement.

"Butterflies?" he asked.

"Yes, when we are worried about something, it sometimes feels like we have butterflies fluttering around our tummy. I get them too and I certainly had them on my first day of school", she explained.

"Did you?" he said, already feeling better.

"I did. But they are a good sign. They mean that we care about something and we want it to go well. And I am sure that your first day of school will go well Charlie and the butterflies will just flutter away," she comforted.

Charlie grinned from ear to ear. Mrs Carson caressed his face.

"Shall we go and collect our favourite Butler?" she teased.

"Yes!" he exclaimed happily.

######

Charlie skipped between his Ma and Pa, holding both of their hands. Every few minutes, Mr Carson would share a reassuring gaze or wink with his wife; she was hiding it well for Charlie's sake but he could see that she was anxious. The Butler also felt slightly restless but he knew that today he needed to be the strong one.

"Almost there, Charlie," the Butler said, squeezing his son's hand gently.

The little boy nodded, reassured to have both his Ma and Pa with him.

They reached the school gates. A few children played together in the school yard and other children were only just arriving. The Carsons were a little early and therefore some children were yet to arrive. The children who attended the school ranged from Charlie's age up to the age of thirteen or fourteen, although many children left school before this age.

Mr Dawes, the Headmaster, approached them.

"Good morning Mr and Mrs Carson and Charlie," he said cheerfully, as they all returned his good morning.

"Well, we have seven new starters today Charlie, and so once you've said goodbye to your parents, why don't you come into the yard and play with the other children until I ring the bell for the start of the day," he offered kindly, as Mr and Mrs Carson nodded in thanks.

"Right then, we better say goodbye," Mrs Carson smiled, as she knelt down to speak to Charlie.

He grinned at his Ma. His Pa crouched down as well.

"We are very proud of you Charlie. All grown up and going to school. You have a wonderful day and remember that we love you very much and we'll be waiting here to pick you up at the end of the day," the Housekeeper said tenderly.

Charlie nodded.

"And we can't wait to hear all about your day son. We'll be thinking about you and we'll be looking forward to hearing about all of your adventures," Mr Carson added, opening his arms to hug his son.

Charlie hugged his Pa and then his Ma. Mrs Carson then guided him towards the gate. She could see through the railings that some other children were playing in the yard whilst others were sitting on benches chatting. The little boy looked anxious again and her heart was racing as she handed Charlie his lunch box.

The Housekeeper smiled reassuringly at her son, despite her own nerves, as the Butler patted him supportively on the shoulder. Mr Carson then reached out to squeeze his wife's hand, to give her confidence too.

"Off you go son, have a lovely day," Mr Carson said assuredly.

"Bye Pa, bye Ma," he replied sweetly, as he walked slowly and cautiously into the school yard.

The Butler held his wife's hand at her side.

"He'll be alright Els, he's a bright, friendly boy," he offered.

"He's just so small Charles, look at him. Most of the other children are much older than him. Please god, he makes some friends," she said worriedly, as they watched him through the railings.

Charlie walked across the yard on his own. He looked a little lost. The Housekeeper and Butler didn't take their eyes from him. He watched a few boys who were playing football, when he suddenly recognised one of the boys. His name was Jack and he often helped his father deliver supplies to the Abbey. He was older than Charlie but he always said hello to the younger boy. Charlie's face lit up as Jack recognised him and gave him a wave.

"Join in if you want Charlie, just put your bags over there," he said, pointing to a heap of bags and coats on one of the benches.

Charlie nodded and did just that. He then ran over to the boys.

"You can be on our team Charlie, that's our goal," Jack explained, pointing to a makeshift goal made with two piles of stones at either side.

Charlie smiled brightly, he often played football with the hall boys and so he knew how to play. Before long he was running back and forth with the boys, as they kicked the ball between them. Most of the boys were older than Charlie but they made sure to include him and they cheered when he helped set up a goal. The little boy was in his element and his familiar giggles could be heard by his parents at the other side of the railings.

Mr Carson kissed his wife's cheek, as they both felt relief and joy settle over them; their precious son was going to be fine.

A few moments later, Mr Dawes rang the bell and the children gradually collected their belongings and made their way into the school building. Charlie looked back over his shoulder and gave his parents a wave, a big grin on his face.

######

The Butler and Housekeeper walked back to the Abbey hand in hand. They would usually link arms but with the emotion of this special day, they needed to feel closer. The tree-lined lane to the Abbey was quiet at this time of day and so it was unlikely they would see anyone. Mrs Carson therefore leaned a little against her husband's side.

"Imagine a year ago if someone had told us we'd be taking our son for his first day at school," she smiled, smoothing her free hand up and down her husband's arm as she rested against him.

"Els, if someone had told me that the beautiful Housekeeper would agree to be my wife, I'd have keeled over in shock, never mind having a lovely son as well," he returned, a sparkle in his eyes as his wife chuckled.

"The Housekeeper would always have agreed to be your wife," she returned softly, as he lowered his lips to gently kiss her forehead as they walked slowly.

"I am so happy Elsie," he murmured, kissing her forehead again.

"As am I," she replied blissfully.

######

"There he is," Mrs Carson exclaimed, as Charlie and the other younger students made their way out of the school building.

Charlie was in the middle of the little crowd, happily chatting away. The Butler and Housekeeper smiled as they watched their son giggle about something, covering his mouth with his hand. He then looked up and spotted his parents. He quickly said his goodbyes to the others and then ran towards the wide-open arms of his Ma.

She snuggled him closely, peppering him in kisses as he shrieked happily. The Housekeeper was so pleased that Charlie was still young enough that he didn't mind her cuddling him in public. Charlie then reached up to his Pa, who lifted him high in the air and hugged him too.

"Did you have a good day sweetheart?" Mrs Carson asked, although she could tell by his gigantic smile that he had.

The Butler kissed his cheek loudly and then lowered him to the floor.

"The best day Ma. I made lots of friends and we played football and hopscotch. Billy and Edward started today as well and they are really nice. Billy lives in a house near Church and Edward lives on a farm. We got milk at playtime and I shared my biscuits with them," he began, information bubbling out of him.

"That was kind. And what did you study?" Mr Carson asked.

"We did handwriting and reading in the morning. Miss Bunting taught us for that. She is really nice …" he explained.

Mr Carson refrained from making comment. The liberal teacher and her views riled him somewhat. She was often at the House either helping Daisy with her studies or visiting with Mr Branson. She was altogether too confident for the Butler's tastes.

Just as Charlie was about to continue, two older girls walked past.

"See you tomorrow Charlie," one said warmly.

"Bye Marie! Bye Emily!" he exclaimed.

Mr and Mrs Carson shared an amused glance.

"I see my son is popular with the older ladies, just like my husband," the Housekeeper joked.

Charlie shrieked with laughter, as the Butler rolled his eyes fondly.

"They are not ladies Ma, they are girls and they are in my reading group," he said, shaking his head as he laughed at his Ma.

"Your reading group?" Mr Carson asked, feeling puzzled. The girls must have been at least two years older than Charlie.

"Yep and we did arithmetic in the afternoon and we learned about the Vikings. They came to England in really long boats and they fought using long swords and axes," he explained excitedly.

His parents listened avidly but they were still a little confused as to why Charlie was in a reading group with older students. They wondered if there had been a mistake and they certainly wouldn't want him to struggle. Just at that moment, Miss Bunting walked across the yard.

"Mr and Mrs Carson, I hoped to catch you," she said, as she came to join them.

The couple offered their greetings.

"My, your son is very bright," she began, as the couple smiled proudly.

Mr Carson even grinned at the teacher's words, squeezing Charlie's shoulder and winking at him. Charlie looked like he might burst with pride.

"I had placed in him in a reading group with the other new students but it soon became clear that his reading is already quite advanced for his age and so I have placed him with some of the older children. I am confident that he will cope with the challenge," she explained.

Mr and Mrs Carson shared a glance with each other. _My word, our intelligent son._

"Charlie tells me that you study together every afternoon," Miss Bunting added.

Miss Bunting was impressed to have parents who were so supportive of a child's education. Many of the village folk were not educated themselves and therefore some didn't always value education and learning.

"Yes, we always set aside an hour or two every day to either read or to study history or to do some arithmetic. Charlie loves to learn new things," Mrs Carson offered, gently bussing her son's cheek as he smiled.

"And my Ma and Pa are really clever. Pa knows everything about History and Ma has read nearly every book in the library at Downy-ton!" Charlie pronounced, as the adults chuckled.

Mrs Carson bit her lip as she blushed, shaking her head warmly. Her husband also smiled modestly.

"Your Ma and Pa certainly are very clever. You are very lucky Charlie. And tomorrow, I think we'll start with one of my favourite books, Doctor Doolittle … you will love it I am sure," the teacher said kindly, as Charlie grinned from ear to ear.

"Well thank you very much Miss Bunting, we appreciate your support for Charlie," Mrs Carson said.

The Housekeeper then glared at her husband, wanting to prompt him to offer his thanks as well. He finally took the hint.

"Yes, thank you Miss Bunting," he said, coughing slightly to hide his uncomfortableness.

"My pleasure, Charlie will do very well at school, I am sure," she added.

"I'm going to go to uni … versity, aren't I Pa?" Charlie replied excitedly.

Mrs Carson and Miss Bunting laughed happily at this pronouncement from a five-year-old, as the Butler lifted his son from the ground.

"If you want to and if you work very hard at school, then you certainly are Charlie," Mr Carson grinned, as Charlie wrapped his arms around his Pa's neck.

Miss Bunting realised that she was seeing a very different side to the Butler. Whenever she had visited the House he had always seemed quite pompous and rigid to her and yet with his son in his arms he was an entirely different man.

"Well then, we best be off. We'll see you tomorrow Miss Bunting. Thank you again," Mrs Carson said politely.

As the three walked away from the school, Charlie again holding hands with both of his parents, they continued to chat about his first day.

"Your first day and you've already been moved up into an older reading group, we are so proud of you Charlie," Mrs Carson said, as she and her husband smiled down at their son tenderly.

"I know, I must be really clever!" Charlie exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders in surprise as he giggled happily.

At that, the Butler and Housekeeper also burst into laughter. Their son was intelligent, kind and very funny and they couldn't possibly love him any more.


	50. Chapter 50

**_A/N: For this final chapter, I thought that I may write an epilogue set twenty years from now, with Charlie in his twenties and Charles and Elsie many years into a happy and healthy retirement. However, I may well come back to this fic at some point and if I do, I think I'd like to continue this fic when Charlie is still young. Therefore, we are going to leave our lovely family of three at the end of 1924 and Series 5 (of course, I've largely moved away from canon but some events will be familiar). Thank you so much for your wonderful support and reviews- I cannot tell you much they mean to me. It makes my day to know that people have enjoyed this fluffy little fic. Thank you once again and I hope you enjoy the final chapter, it's a little longer than usual x_**

Chapter 50

"I can bring Charlie home from school later if you'd like Mrs Carson. I have an extra lesson with Mr Dawes this afternoon, as my exam is next week," Daisy said, as they stood in the kitchen.

"Oh, that's kind Daisy and I am sure this little tinker would love that," Mrs Carson said, as Charlie grinned from ear to ear, nodding in agreement.

He always felt very grown up when he occasionally walked home with Daisy. He viewed Daisy as an older child rather than an adult like his Ma and Pa, even though she did work at the Abbey. Mrs Patmore ruffled his hair warmly.

"Right then Charlie, let's say goodbye to your Pa and get you off to school," Mrs Carson smiled, as she put her arm around her son and began to guide him to the corridor.

"Bye Mrs Patmore, Bye Daisy," Charlie cheered, as they left the kitchen.

"Bye treacle," the Cook smiled.

######

Charlie had been at Downton School for three months and his parents felt blessed to have a son who seemed to genuinely love school. Every evening he was full of tales about what he had learned, games he had played or funny stories about some child or other. He had made countless friends and a couple of the boys from the Village regularly came to the Carson's cottage to play in the garden after school with Charlie and to enjoy lemonade and treats.

The Housekeeper and Butler had been glad to see him develop such firm friendships, particularly now that Miss Sybbie was leaving for America with her father in just under a month's time. Charlie was going to miss the little girl very much, as they all would, but Charlie hoped to visit America with his parents one day. He didn't really know Master George very well as he was younger, or the new little girl that he had noticed with the upstairs Family more and more of late, however he was sure that he would get to know them both in the future.

Charlie also continued to flourish with his studies. He was an all-rounder who did well across all of his subjects but History remained his absolute favourite. He and his parents would spend an hour early in the evening, every day, either supporting him to complete his homework or practising his reading and writing or sometimes simply learning about something new. It was a precious time of the day for them all.

The Butler and Housekeeper took their half day each week on different weekdays so that at least two evenings per week, Charlie could be at home at the cottage with one of them, rather than staying late at the Abbey on a school night. As for Mr and Mrs Carson, they made sure to find some time during the day whilst Charlie was at school to enjoy a few private moments together, usually over a cup of tea and a slice of cake, and of course they continued to work side by side as always. They continued their nightly routine of a sweet sherry or a glass of wine before bedtime; the only difference being that now this was taken at their cottage, snuggled together on the settee as Charlie slept in his bedroom upstairs. Every Sunday, the three would also have an early lunch together at the cottage following Church, before returning to the Abbey. Therefore, despite their considerable commitments and responsibilities at Downton, the family had settled into the contented ebb and flow of family life and the Butler and Housekeeper had managed to build a wonderful life for Charlie and themselves. They were devoted to the boy, as were his extended downstairs family.

######

Charlie was tucked up in bed and his parents were enjoying a glass of wine. The Housekeeper sat on the settee, her legs curled beneath her, in her more relaxed skirt and blouse that she reserved for the cottage. She had removed her stockings and was leaning against her husband's side. The Butler too was in more laidback attire; in his corduroy trousers and more casual shirt, his shirt buttons open to reveal a patch of soft, greying hair on his chest. His wife's hand currently rested at the open neck of his shirt, her nails teasing his chest as they scratched him lightly. His arm wound around his wife as she curled against his side and his head resting against her hair.

"Ohhhh love," the Butler murmured, enjoying his wife's attentions.

She smiled, as her cheek rested against his soft shirt, kissing the place just above his heart, before kissing the underside of his stubbly, strong chin several times, as she continued to caress his chest.

"Mmmmm," he breathed, seemingly words failed him as his breathing hastened.

Mrs Carson had grown in confidence with her affections since they had married, happy now to take the lead a little; she knew how much her husband enjoyed this.

She rose onto her knees so that she could reach upwards and move her kisses to his face; one hand continued to unbutton his shirt and caress his chest, whilst the other slid to the back of his head, raking through his hair as she kissed his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his nose again and saving the best until last, she hovered over his lips. However, her husband could resist no longer, his strong arms pulling her flush against his chest and smothering her lips in kisses as she gasped delightedly.

"Time for bed Els," he croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Time for bed my love," she agreed wholeheartedly.

######

The family of three sat at the table in their kitchen, enjoying their morning toast and porridge.

Charlie was full of chatter as always, as his Ma and Pa smiled lovingly at him.

"Three weeks and then Father Christmas will come with gifts for us," the little boy said, scrunching his face in delight.

He had never had many gifts before but he had always received at least an orange and an apple and some sweets from Father Christmas and he once received a small toy car. Of course, this would be his first Christmas at Downton.

"That's if we've all been good boys and girls," Mr Carson teased.

"We have Pa!" Charlie cheered, biting a piece of bread happily.

"And then Sybbie has to go on a big, big boat to America," Charlie exclaimed, not quite believing it.

"Does she? Imagine that," Mrs Carson smiled, encouraging him.

"Yep and America is all of the way across a huge sea," he added, taking another spoonful of his porridge.

"You'll miss her, won't you sweetheart?" Mrs Carson asked.

"Yes but we are going to write to each other and she'll come back to visit," he said cheerfully.

"And your Ma said that you are going to choose a nice gift for Miss Sybbie, as a goodbye gift," Mr Carson smiled proudly.

"We are. We are going shopping after school, aren't we Ma? We are getting the train and we are going to have hot chocolate," he beamed enthusiastically, looking forward to this little adventure with his Ma. She hadn't told him yet but they would also be choosing some Christmas gifts for his Pa.

"We certainly are my little monkey," she replied, gently stroking Charlie's hair.

As their son continued to eat his breakfast, the Butler and Housekeeper shared a tender glance. To have a home filled with love was a true blessing. Mr Carson rested his arm at his wife's waist, his thumb moving back and forth on her back softly, and she rested her hand on his knee. Both gazed happily at their son.

######

The next day, Charlie was helping Mrs Patmore make some biscuits in the kitchen. The friendly Cook was minding him whilst the Butler and Housekeeper were carrying out their tasks upstairs. There was a genuine fondness between the pair, they both loved each other's company.

The Cook tapped Charlie's nose, deliberately covering it in flour to make him smile. His joyful giggles filled the room. Mrs Patmore helped him to cut out the different festive shapes, as he stood on the little makeshift stool to make him the correct height for the table. He was becoming quite a good cook, often baking with Mrs Patmore as well as cooking at home with his Ma.

"Mrs Patmore, Sybbie has lots of Aunts, there's her Aunt Mary … umm … Aunt Edith … and Aunt Rose," he said, looking upwards at the Cook.

"She does yes," Mrs Patmore replied, not sure where the little lad was going with this. He always had some thought or question on his mind.

"Will you be my Aunt?" he asked seriously, looking at her hopefully.

The Cook swallowed, her emotions immediately overwhelming her. She loved this beautiful little boy and nothing would make her happier than to be called his Aunt.

"Oh Charlie, I would love that but we'll have to ask your Ma and Pa if it's alright," she said, her voice wavering.

"Of course, it's alright," Mrs Carson said warmly from the doorway.

Mrs Carson gazed lovingly at her son and best friend. The Housekeeper could not think of a more wonderful Aunt for her son; the Cook was a much loved and valued part of their small family. Mrs Patmore's face lit up, as Charlie squealed with happiness.

"I can call you Aunt?" he exclaimed, looking first at the Cook and then at his Ma, seeking confirmation.

Mrs Carson walked across to them, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"Aunt Beryl," the Housekeeper suggested.

"Aunt Beryl," Charlie copied sweetly, as he looked at the Cook excitedly. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Aww Charlie my flower, my eyes are leaking!" she gasped, as he giggled joyfully and she cuddled him closely.

######

"Elsie, do you really think we need a tree? We'll hardly be at the cottage over the Christmas period," the Butler asked, as he stood in her sitting-room at the Abbey.

Whilst Mr Carson had transformed over recent months, as he enjoyed being a husband and father, she was glad to see that underneath it all, he was still her grumpy Butler.

"Charles, of course we need a tree! This is our first Christmas as a family," she explained, standing from her desk and reaching up to kiss his cheek.

"Very well, just a small one then," he conceded seriously but his soppy smile gave him away.

"Good. Her Ladyship said that we are welcome to help ourselves to decorations from the attics but Charlie and I are going to make some ourselves as well. Mr Brock is bringing around some foliage ... holly, mistletoe and such like … and we've got lots of lovely red ribbons," she said excitedly.

As well as her son being overcome with excitement about the festivities, Mrs Carson too felt quite giddy. She had never had her own home to decorate before. It was just two weeks until Christmas and she could not wait.

As if on cue, Charlie came skipping into the room singing his favourite festive song.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas …" he sang, before running across the room to cuddle his Ma.

"Just two weeks until Father Christmas Charlie and your Pa is going to take you to choose a tree for the cottage this afternoon, aren't you my love?" she smiled cheekily, looking at her husband.

The upstairs Family were having dinner at Alterley House this evening and so she hoped that this would give the Carson Family some free time to be able to decorate their own home.

"Are we getting a tree Pa?" Charlie asked, his eyes as wide as saucers in anticipation.

As the Butler gazed at his beautiful wife and his sweet son, he realised that he would never be able to say no again.

"We most certainly are!" he declared, eliciting cheers from his wife and son.

######

The three sat on the sofa, gazing at their handiwork proudly. Charlie sat on his Pa's knee, his Ma at his side holding his hand as the Butler wrapped his arms around both of them. The Christmas tree filled their entire bay window and every time Mrs Carson looked at it, it made her chuckle. _A small tree, her husband had said and yet when he and Charlie returned to the cottage, they had struggled to get it through the front door, even with the help of two hall boys._ The new-fangled electric lights sparkled in the darkness and the decorations glistened brightly. Their mantlepiece was adorned with a garland of holly and ivy and Christmas cards hung on ribbons around the room. In the centre of the coffee table there was a lovely wreath with a candle in the middle that Charlie had made at school. As they sipped their cocoa and looked around their front room, all three felt festive and happy.

"One week until Father Christmas!" the sweet little boy's voice chimed.

######

It was the day before Christmas Eve and the school was hosting its annual carol concert. As well as the children singing, some children had been chosen to give readings and there would also be prizes awarded by Lord Grantham, the guest of honour. These academic prizes were usually awarded to the older children, to mark their achievements over a number of years. It gave the younger children something to aspire to. Charlie had been chosen to read a very short extract from 'A Christmas Carol' and as he walked to the lectern, he could not have been prouder. He gazed at his parents in the audience, smiling from ear to ear.

Mr and Mrs Carson watched him devotedly, as they sat with the other parents. They had been joined by Charlie's Aunt Beryl, as well as Mr Barrow, both of whom Charlie had invited to come along as well. The Butler and Housekeeper held their breath, as they listened to Charlie say every word clearly and confidently, just as they had practised many times in their sitting-room at home. He had had to learn this short extract virtually off by heart as some of the vocabulary was very difficult for him to read. As he retook his seat, they had tears in their eyes as they shared a loving gaze with their son.

'Well done love' Mrs Carson mouthed towards him, as Mr Carson nodded his head proudly toward his son, making the little boy laugh as he added an exaggerated wink. Charlie felt on top of the world.

The lovely evening was drawing to a close, with only two more awards to go. Lord Grantham rose from his seat on the stage, ready to present the next award, as Mr Dawes began to introduce the prize. As expected, all of the awards so far had gone to the older students. However, as Mr Dawes began to speak, the Housekeeper and Butler shared a disbelieving glance. _Surely not?_

"This student is inquisitive, hard-working and has a wide historical knowledge, way beyond his years. He has impressed his teachers on numerous occasions with his genuine love for the subject, as well as his impressive knowledge …" Mr Dawes continued.

Now even Charlie had sat up a little straighter in his seat on the stage, as he stared in anticipation at Mr Dawes. He could feel those butterflies in his tummy again but this time they represented excitement rather than nerves. He quickly glanced at his parents in the audience and then back to the Headmaster. _Could he really win this award?_ He had been given no inkling about this.

"Therefore, the History award for 1924 goes to Charlie Parks Carson," Mr Dawes finished.

Charlie literally jumped off his seat with eagerness, the biggest grin on his face. An affectionate peal of laughter rippled around the audience of parents, as well as resounding applause, as they could see how excited and yet taken aback the little boy was. His fellow students clapped wholeheartedly, thrilled for the little boy. Tears streamed down Mrs Carson's face, as her husband gulped back his emotion, a lump in his throat as their little boy walked across the stage.

Lord Grantham held his hand out to shake Charlie's hand, never more delighted to present an award. Charlie giggled as the Lord shook his hand; he of course knew Lord Grantham a little, whereas the other students did not. He held his award in his hand and turned to face his Ma and Pa, as the audience still continued to clap. He scrunched his face with glee as he heard his parents and his Aunt Beryl and Mr Barrow clapping the loudest of all, with huge smiles on their faces.

######

It was Christmas Eve and Charlie had skipped around the kitchens all day, revelling in all of the preparations as Mrs Patmore and Daisy produced a celebration of festive food. He held his Ma's hand as they inspected the decorations upstairs one last time, his eyes agog with the sheer beauty of upstairs, although his favourite Christmas tree was still the one in their sitting room at the cottage. He and his Ma had just inspected the Christmas crackers and his Ma had tasted the adult Christmas punch and he the children's recipe. He watched avidly as the Cook covered the huge turkey with strips of bacon and Daisy decorated the sweet mince pies.

Now, as evening approached, his Pa was helping him to get changed into his smartest clothes, as he would be accompanying his parents upstairs to enjoy the singing and celebrations. The Grantham's had invited some friends as well as all of the workers from the Estate, including the Downstairs staff, for the yearly celebration.

Mr Carson put a little pomade in his son's hair and then he stepped backwards, complimenting Charlie on how smart he looked in his little grey suit, shirt and tie.

"My word, don't I have two handsome men?" Mrs Carson cheered, as she stepped into the Butler's pantry, kissing them both on the cheek.

"Ma, you look pretty too!" her son exclaimed.

"Why thank you Charlie," she smiled, although truth be told, she and her husband were wearing their usual work attire. She had however, put an extra sparkly decoration in her hair and added a little more colour to her lips and cheeks.

"You do indeed Els, you look beautiful," her husband smiled, kissing his wife's cheek in return.

"Right then, shall we go upstairs?" she asked, as her son and husband readily agreed.

The Butler and Housekeeper both took Charlie's hand, as they walked upstairs together.

######

They had enjoyed a lovely evening with music and singing and lots of tasty food and treats. Charlie had chatted with Sybbie and Marigold for a little while, as Mr and Mrs Carson wished Mr Branson well in Boston. They would see him and Sybbie again before they left but tonight in many ways really did feel like a 'Goodbye' to the former Chauffeur and his daughter. Mrs Carson particularly would always be very fond of the young man.

Charlie now stood between his parents in the Great Hall, his Pa's arm around his shoulders as he held his Ma's hand. The other staff surrounded them, as Lord Grantham gave a brief speech, wishing them all a lovely Christmas. Charlie looked at Sybbie across the room and the two little ones giggled, both thinking that Lord Grantham sounded peculiar. Little did they know that he was somewhat inebriated.

The hall looked beautiful, with the huge Christmas tree and stunning decorations, and everyone had a glass of punch in their hands as Lady Mary began to sing _'Silent Night'_.

"Shall we head off now?" Mr Carson asked, eager to be with his own family in his own home.

 _My, how things have changed_ , Mrs Carson thought gratefully.

"Yes let's," she replied, taking hold of her husband's hand and reaching down to kiss the top of Charlie's head.

######

"He will be able to see my stocking?" Charlie asked for the third time in as many minutes, as his Ma pulled the blanket over him, tucking it snugly around him as he lay back against his pillows.

"Definitely. Father Christmas will not miss our wonderful son's stocking, I promise," she smiled, soothing his hair away from his small face.

Charlie smiled brightly.

The stocking hung proudly at the end of his bed.

"And there's the biscuits we've left downstairs. I think that when he comes down the chimney, he may well leave us some gifts beneath the tree as well," Mr Carson added, bending to kiss his son's cheek.

Charlie was almost bursting with excitement, as he reached up to hug his Pa. He then held his arms wide open to hug his Ma as well.

"Love you Ma, love you Pa," he said sweetly.

"And we love you Charlie, so very much. Now sleep tight, as Father Christmas will only come if we are all fast asleep," Mrs Carson added, as Charlie nodded seriously.

The Butler and Housekeeper watched in amusement as the little boy then scrunched his eyes closed. They turned off his bedside lamp and kissed him goodnight one final time.

They stood in the darkened room, Mr Carson holding his wife in his arms, as they gazed at their son until he eventually drifted off to sleep. Only the moonlight through the small gap in the curtains illuminated the room; just enough for them to see their son fall into a contented slumber.

In her cossetted place against her husband's chest, Mrs Carson exhaled a blissful sigh as she was lulled by the steady beat of his heart and the warmth of his embrace. Mr Carson rested his face against his wife's soft hair, holding her protectively and caressing her back with gentle, loving strokes. The only sounds in the room were that of their contented breaths, accompanied by the quiet, sleepy breaths of their son. Somewhere in the distance, there may also have been the faintest sounds of the ongoing celebrations at the Abbey.

"Merry Christmas my darling Elsie," he murmured against her hair.

"Merry Christmas, my love," she breathed, her voice muffled against his chest.

Smiles adorned both of their faces as they closed their eyes in the darkness, feeling blessed.


	51. Chapter 51

**_A/N: Hi Everyone. I have not written a thing for well over a year but I had a little spare time recently and so, as well as catching up on many of the wonderful Chelsie fics out there, I thought I'd write a few additional chapters about our lovely family of three. I hope there's still a little interest out there for this gentle fic._**

 ** _The next few chapters will be loosely set during series 6 but as you know, I have largely moved away from canon. Some events will be familiar. In Chapter 50, we left our Butler, Housekeeper and Charlie at Christmas time 1924 (in canon, this was the final episode of series 5 and the Chelsie proposal, although by this point in my fic, the Carsons were already happily married with a son!) and, as with canon, this fic picks up in March/April of 1925._**

 ** _Thank you so much for your wonderful support and reviews previously, and I hope these few additional chapters provide a little enjoyment in these wintery months leading up to Christmas x_**

Chapter 51

Mrs Carson closed her eyes as she rested against her husband's broad and comforting chest. She could still feel the warmth on her lips and her brow, where her devoted husband had just kissed her. The music played in the distance and the excitable voices of the Staff could be heard along the corridor from the Butler's pantry. She exhaled a relieved breath as she smiled, her cheek resting against his chest as it rose and fell, his strength and his love soothing as always. He held her tightly to him, his arms wound around her back as the two swayed faintly back and forth.

"Thank goodness it's over," she whispered, as her husband held her just a little more tightly.

"I know love, I know," he responded tenderly, as he stroked her back, lifting his head a little to kiss his wife's hair.

Mr Carson knew how much his wife cared for Anna and as the suspicion of Mr Green's murder had hung over the younger woman, it had not only cast a cloud over the Bates' but also over his own wife. The Housekeeper had made the best of it of course, remaining her positive and optimistic self at all times for the sake of her family and friends; most people would never had noticed the worry carried so valiantly by the Housekeeper but her husband certainly did. Anna now finally cleared of any wrongdoing, was indeed cause for celebration and whilst the revelry of the Staff continued in the Servant's Hall, the Butler and Housekeeper had escaped for a few private moments on their own.

"You are my rock Charles Carson," she breathed, lifting her head to place several adoring kisses of thanks to his neck. The rumbling moan in response from her Butler made her heart soar as always, as the atmosphere between them became more charged.

"My Elsie, you are so very beautiful," he murmured, as one of his hands lowered, smoothing over her bottom and giving it a mischievous squeeze, as he began to kiss and nip gently her neck and her earlobe lightly.

The Housekeeper giggled, knowing they must stop, they could be interrupted at any moment.

"Charles, we must stop love," she managed, all the while enjoying his attentions.

"Charles!" she then squealed, as her husband's hands began to fondle her bottom more enthusiastically.

Now it was her husband's turn to chuckle, as he kissed his wife's neck one more time, just below her left ear, gave her bottom one last pat and honourably, stepped backwards with a twinkle in his eyes.

They stood a foot apart now, smiling at the other and allowing their breathing to calm.

"Now that was your fault Mrs Carson and don't even try to deny it!" he smirked.

The Butler watched his wife as she bit her lip in that beautiful way she had, her cheeks blushing pink as she knew this comment to be true. As the two gazed devotedly at the other, the door suddenly swung open.

"Ma, Pa, you'll never guess!" shouted the spirited little boy with the biggest grin on his face.

Before he could explain any further, he started to laugh uncontrollably, his childlike giggles filling the pantry as his parents smiled blissfully at him, shaking their heads lovingly at their precious and very happy young son. Charlie tried to cover his mouth to halt his laughter but he simply couldn't stop.

"And what has tickled our little monkey now then?" Mrs Carson asked in amusement, walking across to Charlie and cuddling him into her side. The small boy rested happily against his Ma, content in her warm embrace as the giggles finally subsided.

"It's Aunt Beryl, she's dancing with the policeman!" he exclaimed, doubling over into giggles again, as if this was the funniest thing he had ever seen.

Mrs Carson joined in with his laughter, lowering her head to kiss his hair as the two continued to laugh. Mr Carson stood with his mouth open, somewhat shocked by this news.

"With Sergeant Willis?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else; he didn't really need an answer, the Butler knew that it must be him.

"Well I must see this, let's go and see Aunt Beryl jigging with the policeman," the Housekeeper cheered, as Charlie squealed with excitement.

The little boy took the lead, pulling his Ma by the hand to the Servant's Hall. Mrs Carson looked backwards over her shoulder, smiling playfully at her husband. She began to laugh again when she witnessed his mouth still hanging open in surprise.

As Mr and Mrs Carson and Charlie entered the Servants Hall, they did indeed see Mrs Patmore dancing with Sergeant Willis, as well as Daisy and Andrew and many others from the downstairs staff. Charlie leaned backwards against his Ma, as the two swayed in time to the music, watching the dancing from the side of the room.

Mr Carson stood beside his wife, holding one hand lightly at her back in a gentlemanly manner. He wasn't used to such frivolity in the Servant's Hall but, almost entirely due to the good influence of his wife, he now realised that on the appropriate occasions, such light-hearted fun was acceptable. As he stood watching the dancing, his son reached out and grasped his free hand, looking upwards and beaming at his Pa. The Butler winked at Charlie and continued to hold his son's small hand in his.

Mrs Carson noticed this brief exchange and her heart warmed as she gazed at her husband and son. She squeezed Charlie's shoulder as he rested against her and rewarded her husband with a beautiful smile.

"Ah, Carson, and Mrs Carson, we wondered where you'd gone," Lord Grantham said cheerfully, as he approached the pair and their son.

Mr Carson still felt a little ill at ease that the Family had come downstairs to celebrate with the Servants but he knew how valued Anna was by the Grantham's and therefore, on this occasion, he would somehow cope with this highly unusual situation.

The Carsons turned to face Lord and Lady Grantham, feeling a little sheepish that they had left the party to enjoy a private moment together.

"Did you sneak off for a bite to eat like we did, I must admit that the contents of Mrs Patmore's larder were too much to resist," Her Ladyship added.

Mrs Carson laughed lightly before responding, she hoped convincingly, 'Oh no Milady, we simply had a household matter to resolve before returning to the party."

Mr Carson stood silently, feeling somewhat hot and bothered at the turn this conversation had taken; he never could keep calm under pressure like his wife.

"Nothing serious I hope?" His Lordship added.

"Oh no Milord, not at all, just a matter regarding a wine order for next week," she added evenly.

Mr Carson nodded formally to agree with the Housekeeper, grateful for his wife's quick thinking and level head.

The Grantham's smiled in acknowledgement, appreciative that they had such conscientious Heads of Staff. A comfortable silence descended between the couples, as they turned again to look at the dancing. _Thank goodness we got through that,_ the Housekeeper thought wryly.

Yet after a few moments, they all turned towards the little boy when they heard his muffled giggles.

Charlie had his hands over his mouth again as he tried to stop chuckling. The Granthams and his Ma and Pa grinned at him, as his laughter got louder. His Ma and Pa presumed he was laughing at his Aunt Beryl again.

Charlie gently tugged on Lord Grantham's arm, so that the older man bent over a little to see what the little boy wanted. Mr Carson took a sharp breath, about to guide his son away from His Lordship. However, Lord Grantham shook his head kindly towards the Butler, he found the little boy's happiness infectious and he was more than happy to indulge him. The Housekeeper looked at her son with complete affection; he had brought such joy into their lives and her shared glance with her husband confirmed that they were both sharing the same thought. They waited with interest for their son to speak.

Charlie whispered to His Lordship, loud enough for all four to hear,

"They'll have been cuddling and kissing, they always do that when they think no-one is around!"

Lord and Lady Grantham delighted in Charlie's comment, laughing whole-heartedly as they looked at the Carsons with relish. The little boy was thrilled that he had made them laugh, as he smiled beautifully and totally innocently at his Ma and Pa.

The Butler and Housekeeper thought they might faint, their faces suddenly very flushed.

Mrs Carson was the first to gather herself, as she cuddled her son and tickled him in response. _He brings joy as well as mild mortification,_ she reflected, smiling in embarrassment as her husband continued to reel beside her.

 ** _A/N: If you have time, please do let me know what you thought x_**


	52. Chapter 52

**_A/N: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews and comments. It is very kind of you to stick with this fic. Also, thank you to the guest reviewers who I cannot thank personally. Here's another update for you- hope you enjoy x_**

Chapter 52

"Pa, make the pig noise again!" Charlie cheered, as he sat on the Butler's shoulders, his satchel over his shoulder as his Pa took him to school.

The Butler duly obliged, making the 'oink oink' noise that Charlie loved so much. Charlie responded with joyous laughter, as Mr Carson smiled. _My, my life has changed_ , the Butler reflected.

Since Charlie had visited the Moulton Show with his Ma and Pa the previous week, he had developed a new appreciation and love for pigs. He'd never seen so many pigs before and his father's impression was very realistic.

The Family and Staff had enjoyed a lovely day at the livestock show and despite the panic that had threatened to overshadow the day when young Marigold had gone missing, the little girl had thankfully been found very speedily and the matter resolved, although the Butler wasn't altogether sure that he knew the full extent of that particular situation. He made a mental note to ask his wife, knowing she would undoubtedly know more than him.

"Almost at the Village now Charlie, time for you to come down," Mr Carson explained, lifting the little boy over his head and down to the ground.

Despite Charlie growing taller every day, his Pa could still easily carry him in this way. The Butler enjoyed indulging Charlie by carrying him part of the way to school, as the two headed down the tree-lined lane from the Cottage. However, he felt Charlie should be on his own two feet whilst the Father and son walked into the Village, with many villagers around. Therefore, his son now took his Pa's hand and skipped along beside him for the rest of the morning journey to school.

"Pa, why did Ma have to go to the House so early this morning?" Charlie asked. He knew that, more often than not, it was his Ma rather than his Pa that walked him to school.

"The Family are having a grand dinner tomorrow evening and so your Ma has lots to plan for that," the Butler explained.

"Can't they plan their own dinners?" Charlie asked innocently.

The Butler coughed a little to hide his slight discomfort at this question, all the while imagining his wife with a big smile on her face if she had heard Charlie's pertinent question.

"Well, they need a little help from time to time," the Butler responded measuredly.

"Well I think it's silly, Ma already has to plan our dinner and so it's not fair that she has to plan their dinner as well. Ma looks after everyone … me, you, the Family, Aunt Beryl, Mr Barrow, Daisy, Anna, Mr Molesley, Andy … she works too hard!" Charlie exclaimed, with a big exhale of breath, as he thought about everyone his Ma cared for at the House and at home.

The Butler stopped walking for a moment, looking downwards at his kind son. He reflected that he often failed to appreciate how much his wife did for her own family and friends, as well as the Granthams, and yet his five-year-old son seemed to appreciate this quite clearly.

"You are quite right Charlie. Your Ma does work too hard. What a thoughtful young man you are," the Butler responded proudly.

Charlie beamed with pride on hearing this compliment from his Pa.

"How about you and I make dinner tonight Charlie, as a nice surprise for your Ma?" Mr Carson asked.

"Ooh yes!" Charlie responded excitedly.

The young boy then thought a little further about this, scrunching his face in contemplation.

"Pa, can you cook because I'm only little and Ma says I am not allowed to touch the stove. It's too hot and I might burn my fingers," he added, repeating his Ma's warning to him.

Mr Carson laughed hollowly in response; realising to his shame that his son had never seen him make anything other than a sandwich or some toast and jam.

"Of course I can cook and I should do so more often," he declared.

"If you are sure Pa …" Charlie replied, with much uncertainty.

The Butler spluttered with nervous laughter at his son's wary response.

"We'll be fine," the Butler cheered, trying to convince himself as much as Charlie. The little boy raised his eyebrows towards his Pa.

"We can always have a sandwich Pa," Charlie deadpanned, as the two continued to walk across the Village Green.

######

"And what are you two plotting?" the Housekeeper asked warmly, as she walked into the Butler's pantry.

It was late afternoon and she had left Charlie finishing some homework at the small desk they had placed in the corner of her husband's pantry. However, now he was sitting on his Pa's knee at the Butler's desk and they were both whispering about something.

"Nothing at all," Mr Carson replied, at the exact same time that Charlie lifted his small hands to cover his mouth, thus immediately giving away that they had some secret to keep.

"Ahh, I see. My two gentlemen are keeping something from me," Mrs Carson smiled knowingly.

Charlie left his hands covering his mouth and shook his head silently.

The Housekeeper bit her lip to withhold her laughter as Charlie looked at her guiltily with eyes wide open and her husband tried and failed to look nonchalant.

"Well, it a good job I have a magic way of getting secrets from little boys," she said, as she walked across to Charlie and began to tickle him.

He wriggled off his Pa's knee, giggling and shrieking as his Ma tickled him.

"Ma, Ma stop! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" he laughed gloriously, as his Pa chucked at Charlie giving in so easily.

She stopped her tickles.

"Well?" she asked triumphantly, as she sat in the chair at the other side of her husband's desk. Charlie clambered up and onto her knee, snuggling back against his Ma as his breathing calmed.

She cuddled him to her and kissed his soft hair repeatedly, making the little chap smile further.

"Can I tell her Pa?" he asked sweetly, not wanting to upset his Father.

"Of course you can Charlie, otherwise your Ma might start to tickle me," he joked, much to Charlie's delight.

The little boy swivelled around on his Ma's knee.

"Me and Pa are making dinner for you tonight so that you can put your feet up and have a nice rest," Charlie explained, thrilled to see the happiness on his Ma's face.

"Oh my, now what did I do to deserve that?" she asked, catching her husband's eye and rewarding him with a glorious, soppy smile before kissing Charlie's hair again.

"You look after me and Pa all of the time and so it's our turn to look after you!" Charlie explained adorably, before planting a kiss to his Ma's cheek.

"Well now that is quite a lovely thought but please remember, it is my pleasure to look after my two handsome Charlies. I love you both very much," she said sincerely, cuddling her boy and gazing tenderly at the Butler.

"And we both love you very much Elsie but let us treat you this once, eh love? We were just finishing planning things. It will be simple, given my lack of ability in the kitchen, but hopefully tasty nonetheless," he explained modestly.

"Well I am certain that anything cooked by the fair hands of my husband and son will be delicious," she chimed.

"Even if Pa burns it?" Charlie asked seriously.

"Even then," the Housekeeper replied, stifling a chuckle as her husband raised his impressive eyebrows, shaking his head at his son's lack of faith in his cooking.

######

Mrs Carson sat on the settee in their cottage, as instructed, listening to all sorts of noises from the kitchen as her two precious men made dinner; she didn't think she had ever heard so many clangs of pots and pans, interwoven with various squeals of excitement from Charlie. She could just imagine the antics of the two in the kitchen.

She sat with a glass of wine in her hand, provided by her husband, as she listened to some light jazz music. This truly was a treat. As she had this thought, the living room door swung open. Big Charlie and little Charlie walked into room, both looking very serious, straight-backed with their chins high in the air. She grinned as she spotted they both had tea towels hung over their arms.

"What do we say, Mr Parks Carson?" the Butler asked formally.

Charlie bit his lip to withhold his smile, a habit most certainly learned from his Ma.

"Dinner is served Milady," the young boy said in a loud voice, trying to imitate his Pa.

"Very good young man, now please escort the lovely lady to the dinner table," Mr Carson added, winking at his wife as he continued to stand at the side of the room.

Charlie nodded and stepped forward, offering his Ma his arm. Instead she took his little hand in hers and lowered her head to place several kisses to his cheek.

Charlie squealed joyfully, "Ma, I'm the Buteler! You can't kiss the Buteler," he said, still unable to pronounce this word properly.

"Not yet anyway," her husband flirted, reaching across to kiss her on the cheek as he whispered, out of earshot of Charlie, _'However, later, when we are alone …'_

"Pa! She is a lady and we are the Butelers- you can't kiss Ma either!"

"I apologise profusely, young sir," Charles said, pretending to be reprimanded but with an undeniable smirk on his face.

His wife swatted him playfully.

"Come on then, Mr Butler, escort me to dinner," the Housekeeper said to Charlie, as he nodded and led his Ma through to the kitchen, followed by his Pa.

######

The three enjoyed a wonderful meal of roast chicken and vegetables, cooked perfectly by her husband and son, despite the Butler's fluster at times as he served the food. They even made her favourites, buttered carrots and roasted parsnips. Mrs Carson had complimented her two men throughout the meal, and they both flushed with pride every time they heard her kind words, so pleased at her obvious enjoyment and feeling that all of their efforts had very much been rewarded. When Mr Carson presented the ginger cake for dessert, freshly baked from the oven, Mrs Carson was in no doubt that a certain Aunt Beryl must have played an important role in this evening's preparations but nonetheless, her lovely men had done most of the hard work.

The Butler washed the dishes following the meal, insisting that his wife and Charlie relax in the sitting-room next door. As he eventually walked through to join them, he paused in the doorway, leaning on the door frame. He stood silently and happily, gazing with love at the most beautiful sight; Charlie and his Ma cuddled up together on the settee and fast asleep.

 ** _A/N: A review would be lovely if you have time x_**


	53. Chapter 53

**_A/N: Thank you so much for your continued support x_**

Chapter 53

"Charles Carson, will you slow down. Charles!" the Housekeeper exclaimed, as she followed her husband into his pantry.

The Butler spun around to face his wife, his cheeks flushed and his breathing laboured.

"Elsie, I'm fine!" he snapped.

"You are far from fine! You've been running around this house like a mad man all morning!" she responded just as tetchily.

"I have not!" he said petulantly, somewhat affronted by being described as a 'mad man'.

"You have!" she bit back.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, both equally exasperated.

The Housekeeper then forced herself to take a steadying breath, realising that this quarrel was becoming increasingly petty. She turned around and closed the door to ensure that they could not be overheard.

"Charles, I just don't want you to make yourself ill, that is all," she said more softly.

The Butler recognised his wife's genuine concern and instantly regretted his earlier tone. He reached forward to take her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs across her fingers to offer some comfort.

"I am fine Elsie, really. I know things have been a little frantic of late but I am fine," he replied with a loving smile.

 _Things have been more than frantic_ , she thought. Lord Grantham's health scare had shaken the entire household, particularly her husband, who had been rocked by the shocking events at the Family dinner. The plan to open the House to the public had exacerbated her husband's stress levels further and added to this, the gradual reduction in staff meant they were short of several footmen and maids and very likely would lose an Under-Butler at any moment, given Mr Barrow was currently looking for employment elsewhere. This reduction of Staff was happening in grand estates across the country of course, however the difference at Downton was that her conscientious husband was determined to somehow maintain the same standards despite having half the staff of ten years ago.

"Charles, you are doing too much. Things need to change, things can't be like they were before, and you have worked such unreasonable hours over the last couple of weeks. Charlie and I have hardly seen you," she said gently, hoping by mentioning his family her husband might finally realise that he needed to slow down.

"You both see me here, at the House," he tried limply, although he knew that it must have been over week since he'd arrived home to the cottage before his wife and son had gone to bed.

"It's not the same. We miss you Charles," she smiled, reaching up to kiss her husband on the cheek. She didn't want him to feel guilty, she just wanted him to see that things needed to change, for the sake of his own health and his family.

"I miss you both too love and I'll slow down, I promise," he said, gathering her in his arms and holding her to him. He held her snugly, nuzzling her hair and whispering sweet endearments. The very last thing he wanted to do was to cause her concern.

The inevitable knock on his pantry door broke them apart; the Housekeeper taking a step backwards to ensure an appropriate distance, as she shared a loving smile with her husband.

"Come in!" he shouted.

"Apologies Mr Carson but the wine delivery has arrived," Mr Molesley explained.

"I'll be there momentarily Mr Molesley," Mr Carson replied solemnly.

"I'll see you later," the Housekeeper said happily, a beautiful smile on her lips.

"I'll look forward to it," he replied tenderly.

The Housekeeper rewarded her husband with a further kiss on the cheek, before walking out of the door, feeling so much happier than when she'd entered the room.

He waited until his wife had left the room before he raised his hand to his chest. _Damn and blast_ , he muttered, as he felt the annoying pain that had been plaguing him on and off for the last week.

######

"Pa, are you coming home with us?" Charlie asked excitedly, as the Butler walked into the Housekeeper's sitting-room, wearing his coat, hat and gloves.

Mrs Carson was buttoning her son into his little overcoat, as she also looked up at her husband in delight. She was already dressed to leave.

"I am indeed, Mr Barrow is serving dinner this evening," he smiled, feeling very pleased with himself to have made his son and wife so happy.

Charlie cheered with joy, before being scooped up and hugged by his father.

"And I thought we could even walk into the Village and collect some fish and chips as a treat … umm, if that's alright with you Elsie?" he asked, hoping that he hadn't spoiled any dinner plans.

"That is fine with me Charles, sounds perfect. Now, come on then little tinker, let's get your gloves and scarf on you before we go anywhere," she said kindly, as the Butler lowered Charlie to the floor.

The little boy could hardly stand still as his Ma finished dressing him for the cold weather outside; he was so excited to be going for fish and chips with his Ma and Pa. His parents laughed at their little bundle of joy as he hopped about.

"Right then, go and say good night to Aunt Beryl and then we'll be off," Mrs Carson smiled.

Charlie nodded and then dashed off to the kitchen to find the Cook.

The Housekeeper reached upwards and held her husband's face in her hands, drawing his face down to hers to give him a lingering kiss. As she stepped backwards from this embrace, her husband smiled soppily at her.

"Now, what did I do to deserve that Mrs Carson? Not that I'm complaining, of course," he grinned cheekily, drawing her back towards him, his arms circling her waist as he rested his forehead against hers.

"You are coming home with your Family and I love you very much Charles Carson," she whispered, reaching up on tiptoes to kiss her husband's lips again.

He made a contented rumbling noise, as he kissed her back with some vigour. He really had missed this.

"Urghh! Kissing again!" Charlie sighed, with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, as he walked back into the pantry.

They broke apart, chuckling at their son.

"Right, first one to the yard gets the largest fish and chips!" she joked, knowing how much Charlie loved his food.

The little boy cheered and raced out of the room.

 _'_ _Hopefully the fresh air will tire him out,'_ she whispered, as she followed her son out of the room, glancing backwards flirtatiously to her husband.

 _'_ _Oh, I do hope so,'_ he murmured, as he caught up with his wife and patted her bottom. The Housekeeper laughed in delight.

 ** _A/N: Please do leave a review if you have time x_**


	54. Chapter 54

**_A/N: Thank you so much for your continued support- your reviews are so lovely and keep me writing x_**

Chapter 54

"Right then, we must get up and get ready," the Housekeeper said, as she gave her husband one last brief kiss on the lips, before leaning away from him and making to get out of her side of the bed.

It was dark outside and Charlie slept soundly in his bedroom across the hallway from his parents.

Charles groaned at the loss of contact, reaching out to pull Elsie back to him.

"Charles!" she gasped, although he noted happily that she gave up her fight very quickly.

He flipped her onto her back, leaning over his wife and beginning to kiss a path from her lips to her neck. He paused at her collarbone, sucking and kissing his wife's sweet skin as she murmured happily.

"Ummm Charles, we really do have to get up," she breathed, grasping the back of his head to pull him even closer to her. Her hands raked through his rumpled hair.

"Not just yet love, not just yet," he breathed, as his mouth trailed a little lower and his wife sighed blissfully.

######

The Butler had already headed to the Abbey, wanting to get a head start on a very busy day. His wife still worried about how hard he was working but she was pleased that he had made an effort to have some further time with his family. _As well as some time for just the two of us,_ she thought contentedly, her cheeks tinging pink as she remembered their loving activities earlier that morning.

She shook her head and bit her lip. _Now, is not the time to be thinking of that Elsie Carson_ , she chided herself. She was broken from her reverie by the sweet voice of her son.

"Ma, what do I do next?" Charlie asked.

"Ummm, right then sweetheart, now very carefully keep stirring the eggs with the spoon," the Housekeeper instructed Charlie gently.

He was currently standing on a little wooden stool so that he could reach the pan of scrambled eggs. His Ma held the pan securely so there was no danger of the pan falling off the stove, and with her free hand, she also held her son around the waist to ensure he didn't fall.

"That's it, look," she smiled, nodding towards the pan.

Charlie gasped as the eggs began to resemble the scrambled eggs his Ma usually made him.

"I did it!" he cheered.

"You most certainly did my little monkey," she replied happily, kissing his cheek.

"Wait until I tell Pa!" he exclaimed.

The Housekeeper gazed lovingly at Charlie.

"Your Pa will be so proud love," she added, as her son beamed with pride.

######

The Butler sat on the edge of his desk in his pantry, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He couldn't shake this niggling pain in his chest and the worry that this pain might be something serious, only served to cause him even more angst. He had hoped the pain would disappear and he certainly hadn't felt it for a couple of days. However, it was now back with a vengeance as he squeezed his eyes shut, wincing with pain.

"Charles, the wine delivery has … Charles what's wrong?" his wife panicked, as she entered the room and saw her husband looking pained.

He shot up to stand before her, forcing a huge smile onto his face.

"Nothing love, nothing at all," he tried, not wanting to worry her.

He knew his wife already thought he'd been working too hard of late. The extra work and worry caused by His Lordship's illness, as well as the plans to open the House to the public and the cutting back on staff numbers, had taken their toll. He'd been working very long hours at the House. He'd also noticed his right hand shaking more and more of late, particularly when he was tired, and he was terrified that he was going to be struck down by the same condition suffered by his father and grandfather before him. All the while, set against these worries, he had the most perfect life with his wife and son. He had never felt such personal joy but the happiness that he felt at home, only made these other worries feel worse. He wanted to be around for a long, long time to look after Elsie and Charlie, to be the husband and father they deserved, and him feeling out of sorts made him absolutely terrified that, if this was something serious, he wouldn't be able to be there for them.

"Charles Carson, tell me the truth," she demanded, as she took one of his big hands in hers and looked up at him anxiously.

"Honestly love, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that is all," he said, hoping to convince her.

"Charles, I am your wife, please tell me what's wrong," she said seriously, never losing eye contact with him.

He gulped, he did not want to lie to Elsie but he hoped in this case it was justified, to spare her any worry.

"Elsie, as you've already told me, I've been overdoing it a bit lately. I need to slow down a bit and then I'm sure I'll be fine. I really am just tired," he smiled reassuringly.

She continued to gaze at him, not convinced at all. He knew he needed to offer her more.

"I was actually thinking, why don't I take the evening off? I could collect Charlie from school later, maybe take him to the Lake and then take him home for the evening. I haven't spent as much time as I'd like with him lately and it will be good for us to spend some time together," he said, hoping that taking the evening off would reassure his wife.

"I'm sure Charlie would love that but Charles, if you are not well, we should visit Dr Clarkson," she added, feeling unsettled.

"Elsie, I promise it's just tiredness. A bit more time away from the House will work wonders. Do you think you could come home a little earlier this evening too? The three of us can curl up in front of the fire and listen to some of that jazz music you like," he said, hoping a little humour would ease the tension.

The Housekeeper couldn't help but smile at that; although she knew there was something her husband wasn't telling her. She'd always had good instinct when it came to people's emotions and she could read her husband like a book.

"You do know that you can tell me anything Charles?" she added, hoping that he might confess what was really on his mind.

"Of course I do Elsie, and there's no one else in the world I'd confide in more than you but I am fine love, really," he smiled, as he stepped forward to wrap her in his arms.

She breathed deeply, cossetted against the warmth of his chest. She knew there was something more but she also knew that she would need to give him a little more time to tell her.

######

The Butler and Charlie were walking hand in hand through the Village Green, on their way to the lake to feed the ducks. Charlie had been delighted to see his Pa waiting at the school gates for him; it was an unexpected treat.

"Pa, Jimmy at school says that boys shouldn't kiss and cuddle their Mas and Pas. He said that only girls do that!" Charlie said worriedly, hoping that this wasn't true.

The Butler looked down at his loving son, smiling tenderly at him.

"Come on, let's have a seat for moment," the Butler said, pointing to the bench at the side of the Green.

Charles lifted his son high in the air and then deposited him on the seat beside him with a flourish. Charlie giggled at this, before looking earnestly at his Pa once again. The Butler wrapped a reassuring arm around him.

"You see Charlie, some boys and men aren't as affectionate as others and so they might shy away from giving their sons or parents a cuddle," he began softly.

"What does affect … aff .." he tried but couldn't remember the word.

"Affectionate. It means when you show someone how much you care for them by giving them a hug, or a kiss, or perhaps holding their hand," the Butler explained kindly.

Charlie nodded understandingly.

"But that doesn't mean its wrong to show affection. Some men find it difficult, that's all. Men like you and I are happy to show how much we care for those we love," he continued, as Charlie nodded again, a relieved smile appearing on his little face.

"Like when I cuddle Ma at the school gates, that's alright?" he asked, just to be sure. He loved to cuddle his Ma.

"Of course it is," the Butler grinned.

"And it doesn't make me a girl?" he asked, needing to clarify a little more.

The Butler bellowed with laughter, with Charlie giggling at his Pa's loud guffaw.

"No, it certainly doesn't make you a girl. It makes you a loving son," the Butler added.

"I knew Jimmy must be wrong, you aren't a girl and you always cuddle Ma and me," Charlie added happily.

Mr Carson lowered his head to kiss Charlie's hair, reinforcing his point further.

"Yes, I do," the Butler smiled.

"Do you cuddle Aunt Beryl and Mr Barrow?" Charlie asked, genuinely interested.

His Pa spluttered at that and started to cough.

"No, I don't son, I only kiss and cuddle the two people I love most of all, you and your Ma," he replied.

Charlie smiled, thinking about this for a second.

"Well I love Aunt Beryl and Mr Barrow and so it must be alright for me to cuddle them?" he said more confidently.

The Butler smiled adoringly at his son, knowing how fond he was of his Aunt and the Under-Butler, despite finding it difficult to understand his son's devotion to the latter.

"Quite right son, quite right," he replied simply.

######

"My goodness Charlie, I can barely keep up with you. You are getting so fast!" the Butler panted, quite out of breath, as they reached the top of the hill near their cottage.

"I am faster than some of the older boys now," Charlie declared proudly.

"I am sure you are but let's walk the rest of the way, hum?" the Butler breathed, ruffling his son's hair.

Charlie smiled mischievously at his Pa, before starting to run again; the young boy had boundless energy.

"See if you can catch me Pa!" he cheered, as he sped away.

The Butler shook his head fondly at his son, happy to play this game to amuse him. He began to increase his stride again, however after a couple of steps he clutched his chest, feeling that piercing pain again. It was worse than ever, as he let out a loud wail before falling to his knees.

Charlie heard his father's voice and turned to him, a breathless smile on his face, as he thought the shout was part of their game. The young boy then spotted his father on the ground.

"Pa!" he screamed in terror.

 ** _A/N: Please do leave a review if you have time x_**


	55. Chapter 55

**_A/N: Apologies for the delay- I had no intention of leaving this at such a 'cliff-hanger' for so long but work and Christmas got in the way! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and thank you for your patience. I hope this update offers some comfort and joy until I can update again x_**

Chapter 55

The room was blurry as his eyes found it difficult to focus; his eyelids heavy and his brain foggy. He strained to open his eyes, forcing them with all of his will against the tiredness he felt. He turned towards the light and suddenly recognised Elsie's favourite vase on the windowsill; the familiarity of this object temporarily easing his agitation. _Maybe I've just been in a heavy sleep,_ he thought, as confusion still settled over him. He then suddenly became aware of something resting on his arm as he turned away from the light. It was Elsie. Both of her hands holding his larger hand so lovingly, as she slept in the chair beside their bed, sitting forward as she rested with her face against his arm. _Oh god_ , he murmured, panic taking over him as he remembered collapsing near their cottage. _Charlie!_ he breathed, terror seizing his heart. _My god, Charlie!_ He said more loudly, trying to wake Elsie, as he flustered with fear, praying with every fibre of his being that Charlie was alright. He tried to move his arm to get Elsie to stir, with little success.

"Elsie!" he said as loudly as he could and finally his wife began to rouse.

"Oh Charles, you're awake!" she beamed, through red-rimmed eyes.

It was clear, even to Charles in his groggy state, that she had been crying for quite some time. He felt guilt wash over him like a tidal wave. His poor darling wife. Little did Charles know but he had been asleep for almost twenty-four hours, since his collapse the day before. Elsie had stayed awake throughout the night with him but had finally drifted off into a fitful sleep just an hour or so ago, as the events of the last day caught up with her.

"Love, I'm so sorry. Are you alright? Is Charlie alright?" he gasped, using all of the energy he had left.

She stroked her beloved husband's face, as tears trailed down her cheeks. This infuriating, lovely man.

"We are both fine Charles, shaken but fine," she soothed, stroking his face and kissing his brow.

"Where is he Elsie?" he said, struggling to speak but needing to know that his loved-ones were well.

"He's downstairs, snuggled on the sofa with his Aunt Beryl. He's fine love, he's fine. Now go back to sleep, you need to rest. We can speak more later," she lulled, caressing his face and hair as his eyelids closed again, despite his best efforts to keep them open.

"Thank god, thank god … I love you Els …" he murmured, as he drifted back to sleep.

######

It was now the morning of the second day since his collapse. Following his brief stir yesterday afternoon, Charles had been sound asleep ever since. Doctor Clarkson had thought it wise to give him some sleeping medication, as significant rest was needed to begin his recovery. _And he will recover Mrs Carson_. _This is a warning sign but as long as he makes some changes to reduce any stress, and takes the medication I prescribe, he will recover._ Elsie had played these words over and over in her mind whenever she had been seized with fear. _Stable Angina_ , Doctor Clarkson had diagnosed, and not a heart attack as she had immediately feared. Given the Butler had been asleep for the last day and a half, Charlie was yet to speak to his Pa, although Elsie had taken the little boy into the bedroom a couple of times, so that he could see that his Pa was resting and was alright.

"Is Pa really going to be alright Ma?" Charlie asked worriedly, for the umpteenth time that morning.

She smiled at her beautiful boy; he'd had such a shock and it was no wonder he needed constant reassurance.

"He is my sweetheart. He's going to be fine. Dr Clarkson is sure of it. He'll just be a little tired for a while. Once he wakes this morning, I'll take you up to see him. I know a hug from his wonderful son will make him feel even better," she said lovingly, kissing Charlie's hair, as she cuddled him to her.

Charlie smiled, cuddling closer to his Ma as he sat on her knee. They sat at the table in the kitchen whilst the Housekeeper's best friend and Charlie's much-loved Aunt, fussed around them both, looking after them devotedly and now making breakfast. The Cook hadn't left the cottage for the last two days, smothering the little boy with love whenever his Ma had to leave his side to be with his Pa. Beryl had also provided untold strength for her friend; despite Elsie's courage and positivity in front of Charlie, the Cook knew that she had been shaken to the core.

Charlie looked up at his Ma's face nervously, needing to ask one more thing, and this was something he hadn't dared ask until now.

"Ma, is it my fault that Pa is ill?" he asked, tears forming in his eyes.

The Housekeeper gasped, horrified that her son would think this for even a second. Mrs Patmore too swung around to face the little boy, from where she stood at the stove.

"Oh, my lord Charlie, no, not at all. Of course not, you haven't done anything wrong at all my sweetheart. Oh love, you are our beautiful boy, you've done nothing to cause this," she reassured, tears welling in her own eyes as she looked down at his worried little face.

"But I made him chase me," he said, his voice splintering as he admitted this. He began to sob uncontrollably.

"Oh Charlie," she gasped, bundling him up even more closely to her chest as she stroked his back and repeatedly kissed his hair. The Housekeeper shared an anxious glance with the Cook, as both women fought back tears themselves.

They hadn't known that Charlie and Charles had been playing chase, and therefore it hadn't occurred to them that Charlie would be blaming himself. In fact, they'd been praising him over and over again over the last day for running to get help.

"Charlie, my sweetheart. Playing chase with your Pa did not make him ill. He's not been well for a little while now, long before your game of chase. It wasn't your fault at all. It was no-one's fault love. Come now Charlie, look at me," she soothed, gently tipping his chin upwards so that he looked at her. Her heart broke as she looked at his watery eyes.

"Do I ever lie Charlie, hmmm?" she asked, never losing his gaze.

"No Ma, you never lie," he said with assurance, through his tears. His Ma only ever told the truth, just like his Pa.

"Then you must believe me when I tell you it wasn't your fault. You did nothing wrong at all. In fact, you did everything right my clever, wonderful little boy. You got your Pa the help that he needed. You were the bravest little boy in all of England!" she declared, a beaming smile on her face as she wiped the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs.

Charlie smiled broadly at that, as his tears finally stopped. _It really wasn't my fault,_ he thought with much joy.

"The bravest boy in all the world in fact! I think the King himself will want to congratulate our brilliant Charlie!" Mrs Patmore added with delight, walking across to them both and wrapping her arm around the little boy's back as his mother continued to cuddle him on her knee. The Cook knelt beside Mrs Carson and Charlie.

Charlie giggled at that, smiling gloriously at his Ma and Aunt.

"My goodness, how proud your Pa is going to be when I tell him what a brave and clever little boy you were. His smile will reach from ear to ear," she jested, as she tickled her son to make him giggle some more.

Charlie rested back happily against his Ma, as his laughter calmed. The Housekeeper shared a relieved glance with the Cook as she rested her chin on his soft hair, still holding him snugly.

"My precious boy, I love you so much, and so does your Pa. Shall we ask Aunt Beryl to make us some of her delicious pancakes as a special breakfast treat?" she whispered excitedly to her sweet-toothed son.

Charlie cheered in agreement and then looked at the Cook beside him with an adorable, hopeful gaze. His Aunt Beryl laughed delightedly at him, ruffling his hair as she rose to stand.

"Pancakes it is!" the Cook cheered, as Charlie clapped his hands.

Elsie laughed at them both and finally let out the nervous breath she'd been holding for what seemed like days. At last she believed they were going to be fine. _Better than fine_ , she reflected hopefully.

 ** _A/N: We'll find out a bit more about Charles' collapse next chapter, as well as seeing the family of three finally reunited. Please do leave a review if you have time x_**


	56. Chapter 56

**_A/N: Another update of this gentle fic- hope you enjoy x_**

Chapter 56

"Go on in Charlie, you'll be fine love," the Housekeeper said, gently encouraging her son as he seemed suddenly very nervous as they approached the bedroom.

He hadn't seen his Pa awake since the Butler's collapse. His Ma held his hand as she guided him into the room. She'd already made sure her husband was awake, sitting up in bed and feeling well enough to see their son.

"Oh, there's my boy, my, how I've missed him whilst I've been sleeping!" the Butler exclaimed, making sure he sounded as upbeat as possible.

Charlie smiled brightly on hearing his Pa, happy to hear that he sounded like normal. The little boy did a small, excited jump where he stood, still holding his Ma's hand.

Charlie smiled up to his Ma but didn't move at all. She watched his smile fade away as he faltered again.

"You can give your Pa a hug you know, you won't hurt him," she explained, looking down at Charlie who still seemed apprehensive.

Charlie gazed up at his Ma in wonder, thinking that she always seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked quietly, looking from his Ma to his Pa.

"Of course we are sure Charlie, now come on over here and give me a hug," Charles said, forcing a smile, however his heart was breaking to see his son so scared.

Charlie nodded in relief and ran across to his Pa. He climbed onto the bed and made sure to hug his Pa softly. However, he was very happy and reassured to feel his Pa wrapping him up tightly in an enormous bear hug.

"I'm so sorry I scared you son, I didn't mean to," the Butler managed, his voice cracking as he held his son to his chest.

Tears welled in Elsie's eyes too as she moved across the room swiftly to sit on the bed beside them. She squeezed her husband's arm and rubbed confronting circles on Charlie's back.

Charlie sat back a little in his Pa's arms.

"I thought you were going to go to heaven like Mam did," Charlie said, anguish on his face.

"Oh Charlie, bless you my boy," Charles uttered, as he took a huge stuttering breath, trying to keep his emotions in check for the sake of his son.

"Now you listen here, I am fine. Absolutely fine. I am not going anywhere Charlie. I just need to take things a little easier. I have been very foolish, working too hard. I promise I will not make the same mistake again. You and your Ma are everything to me, I love you both so much," the Butler managed, before the tears began to fall.

Charlie immediately leaned forward and wrapped his arms tightly around his Pa's neck, as the Butler continued to cry, hugging his son to his chest once more. Elsie cried too, unable to stop her tears as she watched her husband's tears cascade down his cheeks. She smiled lovingly at the Butler, wiping his tears with her thumb, as she held Charlie firmly around his back and tried to soothe both her husband and the little boy.

"Hey now, what are we all like, ehh?" she began, deciding that she must try to lighten the mood.

"We should all have beaming smiles on our faces, we are so blessed," she continued, as Charlie sat back a little and her husband furiously wiped away any remaining tears.

"And yet here we all are, being silly billys!" she continued to jest, as Charlie giggled loudly, repeating his Ma's words.

"Silly billys!" he shrieked.

His Pa laughed too.

"Not to mention that we all have something to celebrate …" the Butler cheered, wanting to appear just as positive as his wife.

"To celebrate?" Charlie asked excitedly.

"Yes, we need to celebrate how wonderful and brave our son is … running all of the way to the Abbey to get help. Your Ma and I are so proud of you Charlie," he continued to cheer, despite feeling unbelievably guilty that his son had had to go through this.

Charlie grinned from ear to ear.

"How will we celebrate?" he asked, beyond excited.

"Well, I think we should go on a little holiday, just the 3 of us … umm ... to the seaside. How about that?" his Ma suggested joyfully.

"Yes! Yes!" Charlie cried, reaching out to hug his Ma. She held him tenderly, before he eventually sat backwards and reached to hug his Pa again.

He then jumped off the bed. His Ma and Pa gazed fondly at him, amazed by his energy and renewed positivity.

"I'm going to find my bucket and spade!" he announced, before running towards the door. His Ma didn't have the heart to tell him that she had meant going to the seaside in a couple of weeks, not immediately!

Charlie turned around briefly in the doorway, beaming at his parents. They beamed back at him, his Ma encouraging him to go and find his bucket and spade. With this encouragement, he happily left the room.

"Oh Elsie," Charles exclaimed, pulling his wife closer to him as she sat on the edge of the bed. His body was wracked with anguish at what he'd put his family through.

"It's going to be alright Charles, I promise," she said warmly, her husband smiling in gratitude towards her, as she rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes, feeling relief and happiness.

######

It was night time now, and Charlie was sleeping soundly in his bed. His parents, sat up, resting against the headboard in their own bed, holding each other. Charles repeatedly kissed Elsie's hair, as his arm around her waist pulled her closely to his side.

"He must have got all of the way to the Abbey very quickly. I tried my best not to panic him but I couldn't get up Elsie. I therefore asked him to go to you as quickly as possible. Before I knew it, Mr Barrow and Andrew were with me, helping me back to the Cottage," the Butler whispered.

"Yes, he's a speedy little one our son. He was out of breath when he arrived. I sent Mr Barrow and Andrew off immediately. I then rang Dr Clarkson and followed swiftly after them. Charlie stayed with Mrs Patmore. I was so worried Charles, I thought you'd had a heart attack," she said, swallowing her fear once more.

"I know love, I know. So did I," he murmured, holding his wife tightly, to try to give her some of the strength she always gave him.

"I will never forgive myself for putting you and Charlie through this, never," he said, as he stroked Elsie's cheek softly, his expression forlorn.

"Shush love, there's nothing to forgive. Yes I was scared, very scared obviously, but you are alright now and that's all that matters. But do promise me Charles, promise me that you'll not work yourself into the ground like that again?" she asked, needing to hear his assurance again.

"I promise Els," he replied sincerely, sealing this promise with a heartfelt kiss to her lips.

She smiled up at him, as their kiss ended.

Charles swallowed hard, knowing that he had something else to tell Elsie. He would no longer keep anything regarding his health from his wife.

"Elsie love, this angina, I don't think it was only because I was working long hours. Something else has been worrying me, as well as everything at the Abbey," he began.

Certainly, their working lives had been incredibly strenuous of late, with the extra worry caused by His Lordship's illness, as well as the work involved to prepare for opening Downton to the public. Further to this, staff numbers were getting fewer and fewer. However, this wasn't all that had caused him to fret.

He looked at his wife anxiously, scared to voice his other fear out loud. She looked back at him with great concern, although she thought she knew what he was about to say.

"Your hand?" she asked quietly.

The genuine shock on Charles' face was clear.

"You knew?" he asked, shaking his head with a wry smile. Of course, Elsie would have noticed this.

"I've noticed it shaking once or twice, I thought it must be caused by the stress. I was waiting for you to tell me," she said kindly, stroking his hair as she smiled at her husband.

He leant forward to place a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I'm terrified it's what my father and grandfather had Elsie. They called it the palsy. It put an end to both of their careers," he said, tears welling in his eyes at this admission.

"Love, let's not jump ahead of ourselves. We can speak to Dr Clarkson about it and take it from there. We'll be fine," she reassured convincingly.

The Butler gazed in admiration at his wife and the fact that she didn't seem perturbed at all by this development. _My strong, beautiful wife_ , he thought.

"But what if it means I can't work Elsie. It would mean a very different life for us," he said nervously.

"Well then, we'll make a go of a different life Charles. No matter what happens, we'll be together, you, me and Charlie, and we'll be happy. I am sure of that. As long as we care for each other and as long as you keep your promise not to work too hard!" she said, ending on a lighter note as she raised her eyebrows in question towards him.

The Butler couldn't help but chuckle.

"I do love you Elsie Carson, so very much," he murmured happily.

"And I love you too, you old booby. Now let's get some sleep," she teased, laughing joyously as he tickled her sides as repayment for her using this nickname again.

"Charles, stop it! Stop it!" she giggled, slapping him lightly on the arm.

Their laughter eventually subsided, as they both snuggled down under the covers. Charles spooning Elsie, with his arm resting across her hip to pull her closely to him. He placed a warm kiss to the back of her neck, as she exhaled contentedly.

"Night Charles," she breathed.

"Night love," he returned, smiling into the darkness.

 ** _A/N: Thank you for sticking with this fic and thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them so much x_**


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

 ** _A/N: Thank you for your patience between updates. Hope you enjoy this chapter- please do let me know by way of a review x_**

"An essential tremor?" Mr Carson asked, as his wife sat beside him in the doctor's surgery.

She was holding the hand currently under discussion, gently stroking back and forth across his skin to soothe her husband.

It hadn't occurred to her that this was quite an intimate gesture but Dr Clarkson had smiled inwardly as he observed the Butler's solemn demeanour melt before his eyes under his wife's tender care.

"Yes. Nothing serious Mr Carson. Many people suffer from such an affliction, although to different degrees of course. It can also be inherited and given what you've described regarding your father and grandfather, it seems likely that yours is indeed inherited," Dr Clarkson explained.

"They called it 'the palsy'. It ended both of their careers," Mr Carson replied worriedly.

"Oh well there is no need for it to get to that Mr Carson. Lots of things can be done to lessen its impact and if you would like to continue working, it will simply require a few adjustments," Doctor Clarkson explained reassuringly.

The Butler couldn't quite believe what he was hearing; he was going to be alright, it wasn't the end of his career at all. He felt the tension in his shoulders finally begin to release. He turned to his wife, a broad grin on his face.

"There you go, I knew things wouldn't be as bleak as you'd imagined. What sort of adjustments Doctor Clarkson?" she asked, beaming up at her husband as she squeezed his hand.

"Well certainly stress and over work will exacerbate the problem and so you need to ensure you reduce both of those things …" he began.

The Housekeeper raised her eyebrows at her husband, who had the good grace to smile.

"Alright, alright!" Mr Carson said, holding his hands up in surrender towards his wife.

"Something tells me that your wife may have already suggested reducing both of those things," Doctor Clarkson joshed, as both the Housekeeper and Butler smiled modestly.

"It is important to get plenty of sleep, as tiredness more generally will also make it worse. Caffeine can exaggerate the shaking and therefore try to cut out tea and coffee as much as possible, perhaps have herbal teas instead or hot water and lemon," he continued.

Mrs Carson bit her lip to stop a huge burst of laughter escaping; given the petulant look on her husband's face at the thought of herbal tea instead of his normal tea or coffee.

"Basically, a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle with as little worry or stress as possible, and lots of rest and relaxation, should keep the worst extremes of the shaking at bay. It will always be more noticeable when you are holding something in your hand or perhaps when you are writing, so perhaps try to alter your working regime to take account of those things. For example, focus on written tasks in the morning when you are well rested rather than in the evenings when you are more tired," the Doctor suggested positively.

"Thank you so much Doctor Clarkson, you have been an enormous help," Mrs Carson said kindly.

"Yes, indeed Doctor, thank you very much," the Butler offered sincerely.

"My pleasure and if I may say one more thing, something a little more personal …" he asked, pausing in case this made the Butler uncomfortable.

Mr Carson's mouth gaped open, not at all sure that he wanted to hear a personal comment from the Doctor. In fact, he looked quite horrified at the thought.

"Yes of course, Doctor Clarkson, of course," Mrs Carson said happily, answering for her husband.

Doctor Clarkson smiled at the response of both, so in keeping with the two people he knew.

"You have a wonderful wife and a lovely young son Mr Carson, I would prescribe that you enjoy every second with them and worry less, much less, about the Family and the Abbey," he finished, hoping that he hadn't overstepped the mark.

Mr Carson was momentarily quite shocked by this somewhat impertinent comment, however he recovered almost instantly when he caught the gaze of his wonderful wife smiling up at him. Her beautiful face stopped any negative response that may have been forthcoming.

Instead, he placed a gentle kiss to his wife's brow and held her hand devotedly. He glanced at the other man and nodded his head in agreement, "Indeed Doctor Clarkson, indeed."

######

The couple walked from the Doctor's Surgery arm in arm, relieved to have received such good news and looking forward to seeing their darling son. Mrs Carson rested her head against her husband's broad shoulder as they walked towards the Village School, both happy and content to enjoy the silence, to enjoy being together.

"Pa! Ma!" Charlie cried, as he ran across the school yard towards them.

The little boy raced as fast as his legs could carry him, full of excitement; he couldn't remember the last time both of his parents had collected him from school, it was usually one or the other.

His Pa swooped him in the air, hugging him to his chest.

"There's our sweet hen!" Mrs Carson added, as she reached up on tiptoes and kissed Charlie's cheek. He giggled gloriously.

"You are both here!" he gasped in delight.

"We are. We were in the Village on an errand and so we thought we'd pick you up together and then go for a little treat at Mrs Bower's teashop," the Housekeeper explained, stroking his hair.

"Yay! Can we have hot chocolate Ma?" he asked, as his Pa lowered him to the floor and he took both of his parents' hands in his, skipping between them.

"You and I can certainly have hot chocolate Charlie but I think your Pa is looking forward to a peppermint tea," she teased, biting her lip again as she watched her husband grimace.

"What's Peppermint tea? Is it like Peppermint sticks?" Charlie asked, scrunching his face in confusion.

"Just like that," his Ma replied.

The Butler shook his head fondly at his wife.

"Yuck!" Charlie responded.

"Yuck indeed," Mr Carson laughed, ruffling his son's hair and lowering his face to give his wife a soft kiss on the lips.

######

"So, Mrs Carson, can you think of any way you could help me relax this fine evening?" the Butler flirted, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, as she stood in their bedroom, unpinning her hair. Their son was sleeping soundly across the hall.

His wife was already in her nightdress and he in his pyjamas and Mr Carson could not fail to notice that she had chosen one of the silk night dresses purchased especially for their honeymoon trip.

"Well Mr Carson, I can think of one or two ideas …" she countered, turning in his arms and winding her arms around his neck.

She reached upwards and took his bottom lip between her teeth, pinching it gently before soothing the spot where she'd bitten with her tongue. After several nips and kisses at his lips, her husband grasped her bottom with both hands, letting out a long, hoarse groan.

"Elsie … that is very relaxing my love," he murmured, as she moved her lips to the underside of his jaw, kissing a path down his neck to his chest.

She then leaned backwards and began to unbutton his pyjama top, making sure that her fingers caressed his chest, as she moved her way downwards. As she reached the last button, she opened his top and ran her hands over his chest, feeling his strong muscles react instantly to her touch. She inhaled his cologne, he smelled divine, as she continued to kiss and stroke his chest.

The Housekeeper pulled her husband tightly to her and leaned upwards to whisper in his ear.

"Doctor Clarkson did say that you mustn't get too tired love and so maybe we should stop right now and I can go downstairs and make you a nice hot lemon instead," she breathed, nipping his earlobe between her teeth.

"Elsie Carson, as I live and breathe, get in that bed this second," he groaned, playfully slapping her bottom as she shrieked with laughter.

"No hot lemon then?" she asked mischievously, her eyes sparkling as she walked across the room and lay backwards on their bed.

In a couple of strides, he had reached his wife, leaning over her body as he kissed her passionately. She pulled him down on top of her, enjoying the feeling of being pinned beneath him.

"No hot lemon," he whispered, and then he followed doctor's orders to enjoy every second of his beautiful wife.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

 ** _A/N: Thank you for your continued support. The reviews make all of the difference x_**

The door of their bedroom swung open.

"Happy Birthday Charlie!" The Butler and Housekeeper shouted in unison from their bed, as their beautiful son jumped up and down on the spot in excitement.

He raced across the bedroom, leaping onto the bed and into the open arms of his Ma. She kissed his cheek over and over again.

"My son, six years old, I can hardly believe it!" she said, cuddling Charlie to her.

He giggled into her neck as he hugged his Ma tightly. He then reached across to his Pa, as the Butler wrapped him up in his arms.

"Happy Birthday son. All grown up! You'll be growing whiskers next," he joked, tickling Charlie under the chin, as his son leaned backwards in his arms.

"Pa, I'm not that old," the little boy said delightedly.

His parents then watched him dive off the bed.

"Come on Ma, come on Pa!" he gasped, reaching to hold their hands, as he tried to pull them both out of bed.

"My, our little tinker is in a hurry to get downstairs. I wonder why?" Mrs Carson teased.

"My birthday presents!" he exclaimed, his face alight with anticipation.

"Presents! Oh no, Elsie, we forgot the presents!" Mr Carson said with exaggerated horror.

"No you didn't!" Charlie shrieked, letting go of their hands and placing his hands on his hips, shaking his head as he looked at his Pa knowingly.

Mrs Carson laughed delightedly at her son.

"You do know that he's learned that look from you … he even does the hands on the hips," the Butler whispered to his wife, earning himself a swat on the arm as they both followed Charlie out of the room.

######

Charlie and his parents enjoyed a lovely breakfast full of his favourite treats. Charlie had also opened all of his gifts with great excitement. The Butler and the Housekeeper marvelled at how thrilled Charlie was with even the smallest of gifts; a box of toffees, a small toy car, some new pencils for school, a new scarf and gloves for the winter months. It was yet another reminder to them that he hadn't had much by way of material possessions until he had come into their lives. However, as she always did, the Housekeeper reminded herself that he had always had lots of what really mattered; much, much love. The warm, affectionate, happy young boy in front of them was proof of that.

There was one present that they'd kept a surprise until after breakfast. A brief worry about whether they were spoiling their son had been washed away as they had both envisaged his little excited face when he saw this gift. They knew he would love it and they felt he deserved a treat, he was such a hard-working, kind and lovely young man.

"Right then, time for one last gift for our beautiful son," Mrs Carson said happily, as she placed her tea cup down on the table.

Charlie had just swallowed the last of his pancake, his eyes opening as wide as saucers as he heard his Ma speak.

"Another present?" he exclaimed, not quite believing he was getting another gift, he'd had so many already.

However, as he looked at his Ma and Pa, they both nodded happily and so his eyes began to frantically look around the room for another parcel.

The Butler and Housekeeper shared a knowing glance, enjoying the anticipation of the gift as much as Charlie.

"Come with us," his Pa grinned, standing from his chair and holding out his hand for Charlie.

The little boy jumped off his chair and reached for his Pa's hand, his mouth hanging wide open. His Ma joined them, holding his other small hand as the three walked towards the back door to the garden. Both parents smiled devotedly as they looked downwards at their excited and amazed little boy. They stepped outside and resting against the shed was a gleaming new green bicycle.

"A bicycle! For me?" he gasped, stepping forward and then turning around to look at his Ma and Pa, as if he didn't quite believe it.

"Your very own bicycle. Happy Birthday Charlie!" his Ma smiled, her eyes filling with unshed tears, as she could see how overcome her little boy was at the sight of his bike; he looked gobsmacked.

Charlie gasped again, turning to stare at the bicycle. A couple of the older boys at school had their own bicycles but he'd never thought that he would have one of his own. He turned again to face his parents, his eyes now glistening with tears of happiness and disbelief.

"It's the best present I've had in my whole life!" he said, a wide and astonished grin on his face.

The Housekeeper thought she may crumble on the spot to see her son so genuinely thrilled, whilst the Butler coughed loudly in an attempt to cover his increasing emotion.

They stepped forward to put their arms around Charlie, his Ma kneeling so that she was at his level.

"We love you Charlie. You are a wonderful son and your Pa and I wanted to get you a special treat," she explained. He reached forward to hug his Ma snugly, as his Pa rubbed his back warmly.

"Now then, am I going to ride this bike or are you?" the Butler asked Charlie.

"Me!" he said, jumping for joy and then running across to his new bicycle. The Butler strode across to his son energetically, as eager as Charlie.

He lifted the little boy onto the bicycle seat, holding the bike upright with his other arm. Charlie cheered, as his leaned forward and gripped the handles.

"Don't forget these!" the Housekeeper quickly added, holding the training wheels in the air!

######

"Charles, so help me, will you stop mithering. It doesn't matter whether they are as rich as Midas or as poor as church mice, they are all children!" she said with much annoyance, as she buttered another pile of sandwiches.

All week her husband had been grumbling about them inviting Miss Sybbie to Charlie's birthday tea and Elsie was at the point of murdering her husband if he should go on about it anymore. Her husband didn't think it was appropriate for the little girl to attend such a gathering when the other children attending were Charlie's school friends from the village and many of them from very humble families. However, Charlie had been desperate to invite Sybbie; he'd been thrilled to bits when she had returned from America with her father and they'd continued to be firm friends.

"I know you don't think it matters Elsie but it does! You can't just pretend everyone is the same. Miss Sybbie is used to the finer things in life. She may feel uncomfortable around the other children and who knows what they might say to her, what coarse words they might use," he said, eyebrows raised in horror as he had this thought.

"Coarse words! They are six years old!" she gasped, shaking her head at her husband who seemed about to explode with the impropriety of it all.

"Elsie, their families …" he began but he got cut off as his wife interrupted.

"Charles stop! Stop this right now! In just over an hour we have ten small children arriving, including Miss Sybbie, and I would really appreciate it if you would stop being a snob for five minutes and help me with these flaming sandwiches!" she finished, throwing her tea towel at him.

She was absolutely fuming with her husband and yet the shocked expression on his face when the tea towel came flying towards him, was enough to make her almost dissolve into laughter. Or perhaps it was her calling Charles a snob that has left him so astounded. Either way, his jaw hung open as the two stood staring at each other, neither saying another word as they allowed their breaths to calm.

"My toys are in the basket Ma, all tidy! And I've combed my hair," Charlie grinned, as he entered the kitchen, totally unaware of the words just shared between his Ma and Pa.

He jumped up to his seat at the table to finish his lemonade, filled with excitement for his tea party. He was a bundle of joy as he smiled up at his Ma and Pa.

"Well done sweetheart. If only your Pa was as well-behaved as you," she joshed, not wanting her son to know that she was actually quite serious.

Charlie giggled gloriously, as her husband shook his head with a wry smile. The tension of earlier had dissipated as soon as Charlie entered the room. However, their son was very perceptive and he knew when his Ma was annoyed at his Pa. He thought it very funny when this happened.

"Are you in trouble again Pa?" Charlie asked joyously, covering his mouth with his hands to try to stop his laughter escaping. "You need to be a good boy like me," he added dryly, not being able to stop himself giggling out loud now, as his Pa reached down to tickle his side.

"He does, doesn't he?" his Ma added mischievously, reaching upwards to kiss her husband to show that she was no longer annoyed.

She held his face lovingly in her hands, placing further kisses on her husband's lips as Charles wound his arms around her waist.

"It will all be fine love, you'll see," she whispered to reassure him, kissing his lips once more as he smiled devotedly at her, tightening his arms around his wife.

"You can stop kissing now!" Charlie pronounced seriously, taking a huge slurp of his lemonade.

Both of his parents spluttered with laughter, resting their foreheads together tenderly. After a few seconds, Charles chanced one more sweet kiss, very glad to be back in his wife's good books.

Charlie raised both of his hands to cover his eyes, shaking his head in despair as he whispered, _'Always kissing'._

 ** _A/N: Thank you for your very kind reviews- I love to receive them. Next chapter will be Charlie's birthday tea party x_**


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